Slice of Life
by Seishun Vibration
Summary: When the cat's away, the mice come out to play.  The age old saying can be applied to the residents of the Vocaloid household. But could a seemingly harmless prank end in more than just a laugh or two?
1. eHarmony

_**eHarmony**_

Hey! This is my first attempt at a fanfiction. It's nothing special... The inspiration for this came from something that actually happened to my cousins and I one was a friend's birthday, and we decided we would make him an eHarmony account as a birthday present.

But really, this was just for fun. And I wanted to get the idea down on paper before I forgot about it. Maybe I'll write some more, maybe not. haha.

Enjoy the result of 3 cups of coffee and too much free time!

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><p>'<em>How did things get to this…?' <em>Megurine Luka thought, as she avoided making eye contact with the tealette sitting across from her in the booth of the café.

Luka gripped the edge of her skirt as she glared down at her lap. It's not that she particularly minded going to get coffee with Miku. She would never admit it to the other residents of the Vocaloid Manor, but she was pleased to spend some alone time with the younger girl. Contrary to popular belief, she wasn't totally oblivious to Miku's attempts at flirting with her… Luka was just confused with her emotions towards the tealette.

Unaware of the older girl's turmoil, Miku gave Luka an adorable smile. "Ne, Luka-senpai, wasn't yesterday fun?" She asked, with a giggle. "I can't believe Gumi-chan and the others made you an account on that site!"

"Let's.. Not talk about that," Luka mumbled, her elbows on the table and her hands cradling her head. Just thinking about that website was giving her a headache.

* * *

><p><strong>Yesterday Morning <strong>

Luka snuggled up to one of her numerous pillows, a soft sigh escaping her lips. Saturday mornings, for her, were meant to be relaxing. Lying in bed for as long as possible was the plan for the day, especially since she was nursing a slight hangover from drinking with her housemates, Meiko and Lily. Normally, Luka would have limited herself to a drink or two, but she had nothing planned this weekend. Why not go ahead and let loose a little?

But in retrospect, maybe she should have eased off of the alcohol.. With another sigh, she sat up and smacked her forehead into another's with a thunk.

"Ow! Who in the—Gumi-chan?" Luka asked, once she opened her eyes to see dark green ones staring at her apologetically.

Gumi rubbed her forehead sheepishly and grinned. "Sorry, Luka-nee. I was going to try and wake you up, but I guess I didn't have to," She laughed a little. "The nii-sans and nee-chans wanted you to wake up so you could all go out for lunch."

It took the pinkette a moment to process what Gumi had just said. _Lunch? _Just how late had she slept in? A quick glance at the clock on her bedside table made her cringe in disbelief. 1:15 PM.

"Right.. Lunch. Of course," Luka mumbled to herself. She looked up at Gumi and nodded. "Tell them I'll be down in a few minutes. I just need to get dressed."

Gumi nodded, and adjusted the ever-present orange goggles on the top of her head. She turned on her heels and ran out of the room while shouting, "OI! GACKUPO-NII! LUKA-NEE SAID SHE'LL BE THERE SOON!"

Luka laughed and got out of bed. In took her only a minute to get dressed in pair of dark denim skinny jeans, and a simple white blouse. She donned her white flats and headed downstairs, and out the front door to join the rest of the older Vocaloids.

As soon as the older Vocaloids piled into the car and pulled out of the driveway, a certain pair of twins whistled. Kagamine Rin jumped away from her bedroom window and ran out of her shared bedroom. Len went down the other end of the hall to fetch the others. "Operation eHarmony is a go!" She declared as she kicked open Miki's door.

Miki's ahoge bounced as she turned around in desk chair to grin at Rin. She nodded and looked back at her computer monitor. _Click, click, click…_ "'Date smarter, not harder,'" Miki read, with a giggle. "But is it really okay to do this, Rin-chan?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" came Rin's reply. She leaned over Miki's shoulder and tapped at the 'First Name' box. "Since Kaito-nii-san and Meiko-nee-san are dating, that leaves Gackupo-nii-san, Luka-nee-chan, and Lily-nee-chan. But we all know Lily-nee-chan doesn't care about getting into a serious relationship, and neither is Gackupo-nii-san. So it'd be fun to mess with them."

"But what about Luka-nee? I don't think she'd be—"

Miki was interrupted as her door was thrown open once more. Both Miki and Rin felt a bead of sweat roll down the sides of their heads as they expected the storm that was sure to follow.

"Miku-chan, you don't need to destroy Miki-chan's door," Gumi said pointedly as she followed the tealette into the room, her hands behind her head with a look of amusement on her face. Behind her trailed the younger Kagamine, who only sighed as he entered the bedroom.

Miku pouted and stopped beside Rin. She leaned over and glared at the computer monitor. "Luka-chan doesn't need an eHarmony account," she whined. "She has me! There's no way she'd ever find anyone better than _me!_"

The rest of the young Vocaloids exchanged mixed looks. It was common knowledge within the Vocaloid household that Miku found their pink haired onee-chan very attractive, and normally none dared to come between the tealette and her passion for Luka. To be honest, none of the other Vocaloids cared that Miku adored Luka; they supported the tealette's passion. But today, the younger Vocaloids dared to cross the line that Miku had set regarding Luka's availability on the dating market.

The Kagamine twins and Miki looked at a certain green haired girl, who was busy playing with her ever-present orange goggles. Miki and the twins would normally avoid provoking any sort of rage from Miku, and creating an online dating account for their Luka-nee was obviously a dangerous game. Sure, the three of them would be fine with just messing with Lily and Gackupo. So why did Gumi come up with the idea to create an eHarmony account for Lily, Gackupo _and _Luka? The answer was simple.

Gumi was just plain _bored_.

Of course, she was looking forward to the faces that Lily and Gackupo would be making once their e-mails were filled with new matches of potential partners. But what excited her most was seeing the reaction that Luka would have. The elegant pinkette was always so composed, the result of an exceptional upbringing. If any fights were to break out amongst the residents of the Vocaloid home, Luka would be the mediator and quickly restore tranquility back to the home. She was just so _saint-like _that it drove Gumi insane. There was no way someone could be so amiable all of the time. And so, Gumi masterminded this plan (dubbed Operation eHarmony) to get Luka riled up.

Gumi pushed her orange goggles back onto the top of her head as she gave Miku a grin. "Aw, c'mon, Miku-chan! We all know that Luka's yours—"

"Right! She's _mine,_" Miku snapped back, her teal eyes narrowing into slits. "So why're you getting her involved? I thought we were just making accounts for Lily-nee and Gackupo-nii?"

There was a short span of silence as Gumi carefully chose her words. "Because… I'm going to help you get Luka-nee," She answered, as she purposely dragged the words out. The coy grin that was plastered onto her face only widened when she saw how dumb-struck Miku looked. "Ne, Miku-chan, I thought you would appreciate my help. Ya, see.. I already had Miki-chan here make you an eHarmony account last night. We had to lie about your age, but we're going to make it so Luka gets you as a match."

Gumi paused as she let her best friend take in everything. "And that way, you can finally go on a date with Luka-nee. She'd think she was just humoring you, or that she was being nice…" Her lips pursed together into a smirk. "But in reality, you could take the opportunity to make her realize that you two belong together."

Another short moment of silence.

"Really?" Miku breathed, her eyes sparkling with delight.

"Really!" The Kagamines chorused, as they each looped an arm through Miku's. The trio began to chat animatedly about where Miku and Luka could go on their date.

Miki allowed a small sigh to escape from her lips, her eyes focused on the computer monitor. '_Leave it to Gumi to cover all the bases,'_ she thought to herself, as she filled out the account information for a certain Masuda Lily. Slender fingers danced across the keyboard as she carefully added the finishing touches to Lily's account. With a click of her mouse, she quickly created Gackupo's account, and then moved onto making Luka's.

The rhythmic tapping of keys stopped abruptly, which did not go unnoticed by the greenhaired mastermind. Gumi leaned over Miki's seat and gazed at the webpage. A small laugh escaped her, and she grabbed the mouse. "'First Name: Luka,'" She read. "And Luka-nee is a woman..." _Click. _"Seeking other women." _Click._ _Click. _"I'll leave the rest to you, Miki-chan." Gumi sang, as she headed out of the room. Now all that was left to do was wait for the arrival of their senpais…

With a bang, the front door of the mansion was thrown open. What sounded like a stampede came charging up the stairs, heading towards the east wing, home of the younger Vocaloids. Masuda Lily and Kamui Gackupo burst into the entertainment room, an aura of fury surrounding them. Standing behind the outraged duo was Megurine Luka. An expression of frustration was painted on her face as she wearily ran her fingers through her hair. Unlike her two friends, she managed to rein in her emotions. But she followed Gackupo and Lily in order to find answers.

The three older Vocaloids focused their gazes on the group of talented young singers that were sprawled out on the couches and floor in front of the TV.

"Who is responsible for this…" Gackupo began, struggling to maintain control of his voice.

"WHO THE HELL MADE THESE DAMNED ACCOUNTS!" Lily screeched, not caring that Gackupo was in the middle of speaking. "AND WHY AM I GOING ON A DATE WITH A GUY TOMORROW?"

At this, the younger Vocaloids lifted their heads up and turned their eyes to their senpais.

Luka offered the group a weary smile as she placed a hand on Lily's shoulder as a way to placate her. "I would also like an explanation," She added. "I've been getting e-mails on my phone about an eHarmony account."

Gumi, who had managed to gain control of the love seat, pushed herself up and grinned. "Yeah, we made them. And we set all three of you up on your first dates for tomorrow," She added nonchalantly. "Nii-san's meeting a lovely young receptionist at the station at noon. Lily-nee, you're going to meet your date at noon also, 'cept at the movie theatre."

The mastermind of the day's events nodded at the blonde twins sitting on the floor in front of her. The twins stood up, and each pulled out a piece of paper containing the information for tomorrow's dates. Simultaneously, Rin stood before Lily, and Len before Gackupo. "Here are the details of your assignments," Gumi stated, as the twins offered the papers to their senpais.

Gackupo and Lily glared at Gumi, but accepted them none the less. Their eyes quickly looked over the details, and halted at the pictures of their dates attached at the bottom of the pages.

"Gumi! I don't want to see anyone—Wait, this girl is actually kind of pretty…"

"HELL NO! THIS GUY LOOKS LIKE A TOTAL CREEP!"

Luka looked at her two friends, and shut her smiles. Despite their protests, she had to admit, seeing their extremely different reactions was comedic.

"Ah, and Luka-nee," Gumi continued, ignoring her senpais. "You have a date at noon, too."

The pinkette looked back at the greenhaired girl, forcing herself to stay composed. "A date, mm? I suppose one date wouldn't be so bad," She said, humoring the younger girl. "But after tomorrow, I'm closing the account."

At this, the other younger Vocaloids reacted. The Kagamines looked at one, grinned, and high-fived each other. Miki's face flushed and she suddenly found the weather report on TV to be quite fascinating.

Of course, Luka noticed the sudden shift in mood. Her stomach did a flip, and she suddenly found herself wondering what she had gotten herself into. Why would there be such different reactions amongst the kids? Sure, the twins could be mischievous, so maybe they knew how awful of a person Luka's date would be. And judging by Miki's reaction, this date could be bad…

The pinkette was snapped out of her musings when teal suddenly entered her field of view. Startled, Luka's ocean blue eyes looked down to meet the bright teal ones of Hatsune Miku's. The younger girl smiled, and waved a piece of paper in front of Luka's face.

"Details of your date, Luka-senpai," The tealette sang, with a giggle.

"R-Right… Arigatou-…." Luka inhaled sharply as she stared at the paper in her hands. "G-Gumi-chan…" She said slowly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Gackupo and Lily both looked at their friend.

"Yes?" came Gumi's answer, with a tone of amusement.

"Am I really going on a date with…?" Disbelief in Luka's voice.

"That's what the paper says, right?" A laugh from the younger girl.

Lily peered over Luka's shoulder, and grinned. "Oh man. Well, aren't you lucky? Miku-chan's a cutie," She laughed.

"Treat me kindly, Luka-senpai," Miku winked up at her the pinkette before exiting the room.

* * *

><p><strong>Present Day<strong>

It wasn't like Luka wasn't enjoying their "date". After all, Miku had treated her to her favorite café. She looked at the tealette seated across from her. Said girl was happily devouring the slice of cake in front of her. A childish smile was on Miku's face as she shoveled forkful after forkful of the sweet cake into her mouth.

"It's so good!" Miku exclaimed, her eyes shining brightly.

Such a sight coaxed a smile from Luka as she slowly ate her own slice of cake. She offered a nod in agreement, since her mouth was full.

For the remainder of their time in the café, the pair made do with idle chit-chat. Nothing too personal, but no boring topics came up either. It was pleasant, to say the least. Luka was quite impressed with how considerate Miku was being, given the situation. It was quite a change of pace when compared to Miku almost forcing herself on Luka when at home.

The pinkette picked up her tea cup and took a sip. When she set the cup back down, she jerked back as her blue eyes met teal. No, it wouldn't have been a problem if the owner of the teal eyes wasn't leaning across the table and was only a few inches away from her. "Ah—Miku-chan… Is something wrong?" She asked, confused.

'_What on earth is wrong with me?' _Luka thought to herself, as she felt her heart pound in her chest. It was as if her senses were thrown into overdrive. Her lips tingled as she felt Miku's warm breath float across her lips; and Luka's breathing hitched as she became more and more aware of every move Miku made. Those teal eyes were hypnotizing, and commanded every bit of Luka's attention. The longer the teal met blue, the more self-conscious she felt.

Miku suddenly closed the distance between them, her lips grazing the corner of Luka's mouth. The touch was electrifying, and Luka almost jerked back from surprise. Taking advantage of the situation, Miku shifted and firmly pressed her lips against Luka's. "You had cream on your face," She said, as she pulled away. "I didn't know you could be a messy eater. It's kind of cute."  
>A smile was on the tealette's face as she stood up, with the bill in her hand. "Anyway… I should be going. Gumi only planned for us to be together until 3," She explained, when she saw the confused look on Luka's face. "She told me that you'd probably need some time to yourself after all this."<p>

It took the pinkette a moment to comprehend what had just happened, let alone what Miku had just said. She nodded slowly, to show that she somewhat understood the younger girl. "R-Right… Uhm, I guess I'll see you at home," She stuttered as her cheeks flushed.

"Yup! Thank you for today, Luka-senpai. I had fun," Miku nodded, and continued to smile down at Luka. "I'll see you later!" She gave the older girl a pat on the head before heading off to pay the bill.

Once Luka was sure the tealette was out of the building, she propped her head up on the palms of her hands. Her thoughts were jumbled, and she was having difficulty organizing them into something that made sense. It took a long moment for her mind to settle down. Once the fog had cleared, Luka realized something incredibly important.

She had just been robbed. Not that she would ever admit to it, but she had been robbed.

Hatsune Miku effortlessly stole her first kiss.

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><p>Ah, the ending was sloppy. I'm sorry!<br>I couldn't figure out a good way to end the story, so I basically spat out what was floating through my mind at the moment.

I hope you enjoyed it, even just a little bit!


	2. Honey Punch

_**Slice of Life Chapter 2 – Honey Punch**_

Hey! I guess I'm back with another chapter for Slice of Life. To be honest, it wasn't really going to be a series, but more of a collection of short stories. But with some of the reviews I've received, it's encouraged me to continue it as its own story. (:

I'd really like to thank everyone for their support! I hope that I can continue to meet your expectation, or at least entertain you when you get bored.

Ah, as a side note… After I published the first chapter and looked back at it, I realized I spelled Gakupo's name wrong. Gomen ne! I'll be sure to spell it correctly from here on out.

And now. I'll add the **disclaimer** which I failed to add before publishing chapter 1… Sorry.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of the characters. Just this fanfiction. (: I promise.

Enjoy!

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><p>The two sat in the private quarters of Masuda Lily's room, sanctioned in the West Wing of the Vocaloid Mansion. Said hostess was sprawled out on her couch, one arm draped over her eyes, and her other hand resting on her stomach. Her companion, a slightly razzled pinkette, sat opposite of her, on the plush gray armchair. Although the two were extremely close, best friends even, they had been sitting in silence for the past five minutes. The silence was beginning to unnerve the blonde, and her fingers began to drum against her stomach impatiently.<p>

But she would wait for Luka to speak. Lily knew that the moments where Luka shared her personal thoughts with someone else were rare and tended to be on important matters. There was nothing more to do than to wait in silence in Lily's bedroom.

Lily hadn't bothered to flaunt her wealth by completely furnishing her room. She preferred to keep it as comfortable and as simple as possible. A king sized bed, a couple of dressers, a couch and a matching arm chair, a sterling silver and glass coffee table, and lets not her 64 inch plasma TV which was mounted on the wall. Yes, Masuda Lily liked to believe that she was as humble as a famous Vocaloid could get.

After letting another minute or so pass, Lily finally spoke up. "Ne, Luka-chan, what's wrong?"

"Ah, well, about yesterday," Luka began, as she shut her eyes. What should she say to Lily? The date with Miku would be hard to explain, especially since Lily had no idea that Luka had never kissed anyone before. "My date—Well, how was your date?"

There was no way Luka could talk about her date first. Just the thought of Miku's soft lips against hers brought the blood rushing to her face. So what better way to avoid thinking about yesterday by asking Lily about what had happened on her date?

To Luka's extreme disappointment, her question was met with a snort and then a stretch of silence.

"My date?" The hand resting on Lily's stomach clenched at her shirt. "It sucked! That guy was a bigger creep than I thought he'd be!"

A small smile managed to break through the troubled expression that had marred Luka's face. Whenever the blonde experienced extreme emotions, she tended to speak with her body as well as through her words. And it was this that Luka looked forward to the most when she was being regaled by Lily's stories.

Lily sat up on the couch and shook her head as she continued to go on about her date. "All that guy did was stare at my chest!" She exclaimed, as she covered her cleavage with one hand, and waved the other around agitatedly. "I mean, I know my boobs are great and all, but he could at least be a little more subtle about looking at 'em!" There was a pause as the blonde suddenly jumped to her feet and began to pace in front of the couch. "And what was up with that whole 'Let-me-pretend-to-yawn-so-I-can-wrap-my-arm-around-your-shoulder' move in the middle of the movie? How old is he? We're not in high school! Don't try to act so nonchalant about this stuff! If you're going to be forward, don't hesitate!"

The blonde's ranting's never failed to make Luka giggle. Maybe it was because of how different the two were when it came to displaying how they felt. Lily could be so blunt while Luka would remain polite, no matter what the situation. So hearing Lily freely express her words came to be something of a relief for Luka. At least one of them felt comfortable enough to be truly open.

"—and he tried to kiss me! And right in the middle of a _horror_ movie, no less!" Lily pushed up the sleeves of her shirt, clearly frustrated by the actions of her poor date. "What made him think that I would want to be kissed after I saw some girl stabbed—" Here, Lily mimicked the movie's killer attacking the girl, "—with a freakin' butcher knife!"

Of course, Luka allowed her friend to continue her rant. It seemed Lily was quite worked up about it, and so Luka would have to wait until the blonde had run out of steam. Oh well. Luka wasn't in a rush to open up about Miku and her stolen first kiss. She could wait.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, a pair of blonde twins and a cherry-haired girl lounged on the cherry shaped bean bag chairs in Furukawa Miki's room. Each of them held a carton of juice; cherry for Miki, orange for Rin, and banana for Len. Miki looked at her guests with her deep red eyes, and inhaled slowly. The Kagamines were currently chatting about a way to make the world's largest pizza by utilizing their road roller to flatten the dough out. No, it wasn't a topic that Miki herself would be excited to join in, but she wasn't the type to interrupt a conversation to get her thoughts out. That was something Lily-nee would do.<p>

It was once the twins made plans to create their monstrous pizza that weekend that Miki finally decided to speak up. "Ano, about what happened yesterday," She began. "Do you think Gumi-chan should have done that?"

Rin blinked a few times and looked at Len, then back at Miki. "Ne? Gumi-chan made things fun!" She exclaimed as she gave Miki one of her internationally known smiles. "It was just for fun. Lily-nee-chan and Gakupo-nii-san will get over it."

Len let out a small sigh. _"_Onee-chan! Don't beat around the bush," He scolded. "Miki-nee, it was just for fun. Luka-nee will be fine. I don't think she likes Miku-nee like that," He added, as he frowned slightly. His tiny ponytail bounced as he shook his head.

"And in any case—" Len began…

"Miku-nee will just keep trying to hit on Luka-nee-chan—" and Rin continued…

"But we all know Luka-nee-chan is just too nice to completely turn Miku-nee down," Len finished.

The twins looked at one another, and then focused their deep blue eyes on Miki. They nodded simultaneously, which sent a shiver up Miki's spine. Sometimes she forgot how creepy it could be to hear and see them talk like this.

But she had to admit, what they had just said had some truth to it. Luka really was too nice to be blunt with Miku and tell her that she wasn't interested in the tealette. If anything, Luka would find a gentle way to break the news to her young admirer and sit there to be a shoulder for the broken-hearted girl to cry on. '_But Miku-chan won't cry… And she definitely won't give up on Luka-nee,'_ Miku thought, as she smiled wearily. "Ah, Miku-chan, what will you do when she tells you 'No'?" She mumbled to herself.

Rin leapt up from her chair and gracefully landed in front of Miki. She planted her right foot on Miki's knee, and pointed at Miki. The look on her face was that of pure determination and protest. "Don't say that, Miki-nee!" She reprimanded the startled red-head. "Miku-nee _will_ get Luka-nee-chan! She _has_ to! Miku-nee already said I could be the godmother for their babies!" The juice box in her hand was crushed as the petite blonde continued her tirade.

"I have to teach their beautiful baby how to drive a roadroller! Oh, and how to swim, and how to put cute ribbons in her hair… Or how to dress like a BAMF and pick up all the bitches if it's a boy," Rin added, with a definitive nod. "My godchild is going to be a heartbreaker."

At this, Len spat out his banana flavored juice. _Rin?_ His onee-chan? A _godmother_? God help the poor child that would have to put up with such a useless godmother. He looked at Miki, a desperate look on his face. Miki looked back at the boy, and interpreted his expression to mean, '_Please, don't let any child turn out to be like my sister. Oh God, please stop her from raising a child, period.'_

Miki giggled, and winked back at the panic-stricken boy. "Ah, but Rin-chan," she said, as she gently pushed Rin's foot off from her knee. "Girls can't have babies with other girls. Did you forget that?"

The crumpled juice carton fell onto the carpeted floor. "_What?"_ Rin gasped, as she stared down at Miki. "Girls can't have babies with- HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO BE A GOD MOTHER TO THIS LUKA-MIKU BABY THEN IF IT CAN'T EVEN EXIST!"

Len sighed. It was going to be a long afternoon if he and Miki had to explain this to his sister…

* * *

><p>Elsewhere, Miku and Gumi where busy prepping themselves for a game of DDR in the game room of the mansion. Yes, a real DDR machine (DDR Super Nova 2, to be exact) was installed in their game room once Miki had realized that they had more than enough money to purchase one. No one had any idea that Miki was a fan of the dance game until a truck pulled into the driveway and the delivery men asked for a "Furukawa-san" to sign for the delivery. And once the truck and deliverymen had left, the redhead was given a very stern lecture by a pink haired Onee-chan about splurging on such an enormous, and somewhat ludicrous, item. Needless to say, Miki never ordered anything else without clearing it with Luka. (After all, Luka was the self-appointed financer of the Vocaloid bank account. )<p>

The tealette and greanette were bouncing on the balls of their feet as they waited for the game to start. Miku had selected the first song, a pop tune of course. She claimed it was just her warm-up song, but Gumi knew that her rival was obsessed with the song. "Honey Punch" by Riyu Kosaka. Every time they played the game, Miku started off with this song first. Any spectator would be easily impressed with the amount of skill that both players possessed. The difficulty that they played on was set on difficult, above the beginner and basic difficulties. As if to rub it into any normal person's face, they upped the arrow speed from the normal "x1" to "x2". Yes, the duo did like to show off their "dance" skills.

"_Nandmonai koto de…"_

The J-Pop singer's voice rang out as the duo began to simultaneously tap on the corresponding arrows beneath their feet. A deep bass line kept the beat for them as they continued to dance. Extremely happy J-Pop wasn't exactly Gumi's thing, but this type of song was right up Miku's alley… And the amount of 'Marvelous' that Miku scored clearly showed how much the tealette loved this song.

"_Butsukatte namida detari shite_

_Wagamama na watashi no tonari de_

_Kawaranai egao kureta…"_

"Ne, ne, Gumi-chan!" Miku's voice was calm and even, as if she we chatting with her friend while out on a stroll.

"_Zettai no communication!"_ The song sang.

'_How the hell can she talk so calmly?' _Gumi thought, a little agitated that Miku wasn't even breaking a sweat. Yes, Honey Punch was one of the easier songs on difficult, but Gumi could still feel a drop of sweat roll down the side of her face.

Instead, her reply to Miku was a simple, "Yeah?"

"_Yappa kore ga daiji desho!"_

"I kissed Luka-chan yesterday," Miku sang, as she continued to effortlessly tap out the proper rhythms with her feet.

"_Yatta! CONGRATULATION!_

_Tokubetso na hito e"_

Gumi tripped over her own feet and flailed her arms as she attempted to regain her balance. Thankfully, one arm managed to grab hold of the support bar behind her. "EH! You did _WHAT!"_ She failed to notice that her score was no longer increasing, and the 'life bar' was steadily decreasing into the danger zone.

"_Yume ippai_

_Mee ippai_

_Kokoro kara anata e no ai o_

_Sasagetai todoketai_

_Mou mune ga ippai…"_

Miku let out a giggle as she continued to dance along to the music. "Luka-chan! I kissed her!"

Gumi stared at her friend. Before she needed the balance bar to help her regain her balance. Now she was leaning against the bright red bar for support, because she was pretty sure her legs were about to give out from beneath her as a result of shock. Could Miku really have gotten away with kissing Luka? The thought just seemed so absurd that Gumi figured it had to be a joke. There was no way Luka would allow Miku to ever get close enough to plant a kiss on her lips. So how could Miku possibly have kissed the object of her affections?

"Don't you want to know the details?" The tealette's soprano voice sang through her thoughts as she seemingly glided along the dance pad. If Gumi could see Miku's face, she would have immediately noticed how much brighter her smile had become since Luka was brought up. "I have to say, I was pretty damn smooth about it, too."

Now this Gumi just _had _to hear. Screw the game! She could try (and fail) to beat Miku's high score some other day. "Tell me," the green haired girl demanded, as she gave her best friend a serious look. "Tell me right now."

Once more, Miku giggled at her friend's childish reaction. "Ne, Gumi-chan, keep playing or I won't tell you what happened!" She said teasingly, as she continued to hop to and fro.

Jaw clenched, Gumi tore herself away from the support bar. "Just tell me—"

"I SAID PLAY THE GAME!" Miku snapped back, shutting down any further protests.

Gumi stared at Miku. Unwillingly, she obeyed Miku's order and went back to stomping her feet on the arrows. But if one were close enough to hear her, a steady stream of swears could be heard coming from cross greenhaired girl.

"_Motto ai ga ippai_

_Amai amai Candy mitai na ai o_

_Tsukuritai tarinai_

_Demo onaka ippai!"_

The last few seconds of the song played, and the two ended the game with a definitive stomp on the right arrow. As soon as the music cut-off, Gumi whipped her head and glared at Miku. "Story. Now."

A smile was on Miku's face as she simply shook her head no. "We still have four more songs to get through, Gumi-chan," She sang, as she leaned over to tap the flashing yellow arrows beneath the monitor in search of another song.

Gumi felt her eye twitch as she stared at the back of the tealette's head. Her arms stretched out before her, reaching for the slender neck which belonged to the source of her current fury. "Why I outta-…"

Before her hands could grasp their target, Miku slapped the select button, and jumped back onto the dance pad. "Next song!"

"SON OF A—"

Once more, Gumi was interrupted by the voice of Riyu Kosaka as she began to sing "Love Love Shine".

And once more, Gumi swore under her breath. As soon as these four songs ended, she was going to hear Miku's damned story, and then proceed to strangle the living daylights out of her for making her wait so long. And maybe punch Miku in the face.

A punch for the honey, right?

* * *

><p>Thank you for reading this! (:<p>

I hope you guys have a somewhat clearer understanding of some of the characters personalities for my story.

This time I wasn't jacked up on coffee. I was actually eating a bowl of rice and some soy sauce, as well as enjoying a nice cup of green tea. Yay for cheap college dinners that you can make in your dorm!

Anyway, some more notes.

Age-wise, from oldest to youngest, would be: Gakupo, Kaito, Meiko, Luka, Lily, Miku, Gumi, Miki, Rin, and then Len. No, I'm not exactly sure how old I want everyone to be. I haven't figured that out yet.

And yes, I love DDR SuperNova 2. I thought I'd be nice and add in the translation for the sections of "Honey Punch" that I used.

_Hit by nothing much at all,_

_I started crying_

_Next to my selfish self_

_You gave me an unchanging smile._

_There's absolutely no communication_

_This is important, right!_

_All right! Congratulations_

_to my special person_

_So many dreams_

_So many views_

_I want to give the __ (love) from my heart_

_to you, I want it to reach you_

_Oh, there's so much in my chest_

_So much love, and more_

_My __ (love) for you is like sweet sweet candy_

_I want to make more of it, there's not enough_

_But I'm full"_

Yes, it's a very happy song. But I thought it was very fitting. And I got to make an extremely bad play on words at the end because of it (:

AND SOME REPLIES TO THE REVIEWERS!

**Lovecakes98:** Thank you! Yeah, I wasn't expecting eHarmony to really go anywhere. But the inspiration came from the day my cousins and I made an eHarmony account for a friend as a birthday gift. And seeing his reaction was _priceless_.

**LukaFan:** Ah, thank you! I'm glad you thought it was funny. (: eHarmony is a funny sounding site, in my opinion. Haha

**PaperCutVictim:** That means a lot coming from someone whose stories I admire. Thank you very much! I didn't have coffee today, but tea and rice instead. So let's see what else can get my writing juices flowing. Hahaha

**Namegoeshere**: Thank you! I guess I'm granting your wish, since I've decided to make this into a chaptered story.

**Jak656:** Yeah, I giggled when I saw what you wrote. Hahaha. I'm glad you enjoyed the story, and it's sweet ending! :D

**IdrewAcow:** TwT Thank you! I was hoping my story would make some sense to people, and that my writing style wasn't too sporadic. I'm very thankful for your support!

**Justa person:** You were actually the reason that I decided to spend the last few hours of my day writing up chapter two. Well, you pushed me over the edge and into writing it. I was really indecisive before, since I had received reviews encouraging me to write some more. I just didn't want to disappoint anyone. But thank you for your support!

RIGHT THEN. I will humbly take my leave and go finish the Japanese homework which is currently staring at me from beside of my laptop.

Thank you very much, everyone!


	3. World is Mine

Slice of Life Chapter 3 – World is Mine

Hello, and thanks for reading my story! I'm back with another chapter! I told myself I would finish up my homework, but while I was working I suddenly came up with more ideas for this story… I needed to at least get one of them down (and jot notes on the others) before I forget them.

Thank you for the reviews! You guys are the whole reason that I've continued to write this story. Domo arigatou gozaimasu! (^o^)

**Disclaimer:**I do not own any of the Vocaloids and such. Just this silly story.

* * *

><p>Nearly an hour and a half after beginning her rant, Lily plopped back down on to the couch, laying on her stomach. She let out an exhausted sigh and shut her eyes. "And that's how my date went," she mumbled, clearly out of gas. All of that pacing and reenacting her date had caused her to use up more energy than expected. After this, she was expecting Luka to go make dinner for her. It seemed like a fair enough exchange to the blonde. She would listen to Luka and offer the troubled pinkette some advice (granted, it may not be the best advice, but still). And in exchange for Lily's advice, Luka would prepare a splendid meal. After all, Lily was useless when it came to household tasks like that, and Luka herself was seemingly amazing at anything she did.<p>

The pinkette laughed, and sat up a little bit in the armchair. "Oh, Lily-chan, even though you were complaining, the look in your eyes said that you had fun," she observed, as she gave the blonde a smile.

Lily turned her head to give Luka an appalled look. "Me? Have fun with that creep?" she exclaimed, as she put one of the couch pillows in a death grip. "Hell. No. NEVER!" With a definitive snap of her arm, the pillow flew over the coffee table and…

Completely missed Luka's face.

Lily's eye twitched, and she quickly buried her face in another pillow, much to the amusement of her target. "Damn it… Whatever. Anyway, what about _your_ date, _Lu-chan_?" she spoke into the pillow.

Luka's giggle fit came to a screeching halt at the mention of her childhood nickname. It had caught her completely off guard. Lu-chan? She hadn't been called that by Lily since they started high school; and even then Luka had to beg her friend to leave that embarrassing nickname behind. They weren't little kids anymore, and Luka was not about to have that name stuck to her for another three years.

A small smirk crept onto Lily's lips when Luka was silenced. She shifted slightly so one of her blue eyes could watch Luka. "The date, Lu-chan, the date. How was it? Did Miku-chan have fun?"

"Ah—W-well, yes, I suppose she d-did have fun," Luka stammered, as she tried to recompose herself. For some reason, the curious glint in Lily's eye was beginning to bother her. And she was only irked even more when she noticed the smirk on Lily's face. "But nothing happened! It's not like Miku-chan tried to do anything!" she added quickly. A blush spread across her cheeks when she realized that she had basically outed herself, and now she would _have_ to explain yesterday's events to the blonde.

"Eh? I never asked if Miku-chan tried something," Lily sang, the smirk on her face only widening. "So what happened, Lu-chan? Hmmm? Did our cute little kouhai make a move on you?"

In an instant, Luka's face went from pink to red. "Wha—D-don't be ridic-!"

"I bet she did try something on you! Or maybe you made the first move?" Lily gasped and propped herself up with her elbows. "Don't tell me you took advantage of a young girl and brought her to a hotel! Oh, Lu-chan! I didn't know you could be such a per—Oof!"

The pillow which Lily had tried to use as a weapon had suddenly made direct contact with her face. "Oi! I was only kidding, Lu-chan!" Lily complained, as she hugged the projectile. She looked back at her friend, and had to shove her face into a pillow to keep from laughing. Apparently Lily's teasing comments had hit the pinkette hard, for the red that was on Luka's face had intensified into an indescribably deep shade of red. "Holy shit!" Lily snickered.

Unamused, and clearly flustered, Luka brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "Stop! Don't say things like that!" She whined. "Nothing like that happened. I can't believe I thought I could have a serious conversation with you.. But then you had to go and make it seem like…. I just needed you to listen to me… So vulgar…" Her voice trailed off as she rested her forehead to her knees. Lockdown mode. There was no way she was going to talk to Lily about Miku if it would lead to such perverse comments.

Lily let out a small groan. She had forgotten how hard it could be for Luka to open up about the things that were deeply troubling her. But she was prepared for this. They had grown up on the same street and were childhood friends. This shy part of Luka was something that Lily had had to deal with before. And after a few years, Lily had figured the best way to coax Luka out of her shell and speak about whatever it was that was troubling her.

The blonde forced herself up from the couch, and strode over to the armchair. She sat on one of the arms, and let out a small sigh. "Gomen ne, Luka," She apologized softly. Gently, Lily began to pet the pink haired girl's head. Yes, the gesture could be seen as childlike or even condescending… But she knew that Luka found this to be secretly comforting. And this act of comfort was only encouraged when the blonde felt Luka shift.

Craving more of this simple gesture, Luka had lifted her head up from her knees. Still silent, Luka leaned her head against Lily's side and sighed, her eyes shut. It had been a while since they had done this, a few years or so. If she remembered correctly, the last time they had sat like this was when they were both about to move away from home and join the Vocaloid Mansion. That night, Luka had called Lily sometime past midnight nearly in tears. And although the blonde had mumbled some incoherent words of protests over the phone, she came over to the pinkette's home and spent the night comforting her more sensitive friend. "No matter what happens, I'm always going to be there for you, Luka-chaaaan! So it's okay to lean on me if you need some support, 'kay?" Lily had told her, after Luka spent a few minutes crying about leaving home and living with complete strangers (minus Lily).

Those words had touched Luka's heart, and she expected Lily to always be there for her since then. She knew that Lily may be a bit of an airhead, can be loud and obnoxious, or so blunt that it hurts… But at the end of the day, Lily was her best friend. The blonde knew her inside and out, and always had Luka's best interest in mind. And Luka loved that Lily for that. As a friend, of course.

The blonde smiled a little bit, and continued to pet her friend. "I took things too far, and I'm sorry, okay?" She apologized once more, as she looked down at the somewhat flushed pinkette. "I'll listen to what you have to say. Your troubles are my troubles. We're friends, so of course I'm always going to be here for you. No matter what happens, I'll be right here and I'll listen to what you have to say… So please forgive me for my lack of tact and go ahead, Luka."

The fact that Lily nearly quoted herself from all those years ago certainly surprised Luka. (And the lack of "chan" that was normally tagged onto the end of her name certainly stressed how serious Lily was at the moment.) The statement had caught her off guard, but pleasantly so. She smiled, and slowly opened her eyes. "Baka… I've already forgiven yo," she said softly. Her blue eyes looked up and met Lily's darker ones.

A grin was on Lily's face and she nodded to signal that it was okay for Luka to continue speaking.

The pinkette took a slow, deep breath to put her nerves at ease. "Yesterday, Miku-chan and I went out into town," She began. "She asked me where I wanted to go, and I explained that I wasn't very hungry and that something light would suffice."

"So you guys went to that café you're always talking about, right?" Lily guessed, as she ruffled up Luka's hair.

Luka nodded, not really minding that she would have to fix her hair again. "Right. She was very…" She paused as she struggled to find the right words. "Pleasant. For once, she wasn't trying to use those silly pick-up lines that Kaito taught her. And she was very respectful of my personal space. There weren't any surprise hugs." The pink haired girl was very careful to omit "or kisses" from the end of her sentence.

Slowly, Lily nodded her head. Okay, so Luka's date sounded like it was pleasant. A stark difference with how _her_ date had went. '_That fucking pervert,'_ Lily thought to herself, scowling at thought of the boy.

"Uhm… And we just talked while we were there," Luka added. "You know Miku-chan has a sweet tooth, so she had a couple of slices of cake while I only had one." Another short pause as she smiled a little. "But then things became… complicated." Her voice became shaky once more.

This did not go unnoticed by Lily. Concerned that Miku may have done some harm to Luka, she turned her deep blue eyes onto her now quivering friend. Wait, Luka was _quivering?_ The sight of her best friend shaking uneasily beside her made Lily's hand cease its comforting strokes. As cute, and famous, as Miku may be, Lily would never forgive Miku if she had hurt Luka. Putting Luka in harm's way was unforgivable, and Lily would personally deal justice to the tealette.

"What happened, Luka-chan?" Lily asked, her voice ice cold. "Did she hurt you? I swear, if she did something to you, I'll personally kick her ass. Kill her. Then bring her back from the dead so I can practice my back hand on her-"

"She kissed me."

"And then I'll- Excuse me?" Lily's harsh tone vanished and was replaced with utter confusion.

"M-Miku-chan.. She…"

"She kissed you?"

A nod was the only reply that the blonde received.

"On the cheek, right?"

This time a shake of the head.

"Miku-chan… Kissed you…. On the forehead?"

Another shake of the head, this time with scarlet cheeks.

"Holy shit!" Lily exclaimed, her blue eyes wide. "Holy shit! You kissed a girl!"

Luka's face went completely red. "B-but, it was—"

"You kissed a girl, and you liked it!" Lily sang. "The taste of her cherry chapstick!"

The pinkette turned her head away from Lily, and quickly mumbled something under her breath.

The singing stopped as Lily looked back down at Luka. "Sorry, didn't catch that," she said. "What'd ya say?"

More mumbling.

"Oi, Lu-chan, speak up!"

Slightly louder now, but the words were still indistinguishable from one another.

"Okay, better, but I definitely have no idea what you just sa—"

"SHE DIDN'T TASTE LIKE CHERRY CHAPSTICK! IT WAS STRAWBERRY!"

_Thud._

Masuda Lily had fallen off from the armchair, a shell-shocked expression clearly displayed on her normally grinning face. It took only a couple of seconds for Lily to recompose herself, though. And once she did, the thoughts that ran through her mind would have made her best friend brutally murder her.

Worried, Luka peered over the side of the armchair, blue eyes wide with worry. But her thoughts of concern for the blonde vanished when she saw the wide grin on Lily's face. And those eyes. Lily's deep blue eyes… Luka could have sworn that they had a mischievous glint to them.

Oh no.

Oh, God, no.

What had she gotten herself into this time?

"Strawberry, hm?" Lily sat up. Both of her arms laid against the armrest of the chair, and she planted her blonde head onto her arms. "Straw. Berry. Chap. Stick."

Luka jerked her head away from Lily's. Blood rushed back into her face as she mindlessly opened and closed her mouth shut.

"Must've been a pretty sweet kiss if you could remember the _flavor_ of her chapstick," Lily teased in a sing-song voice. There was no way she was letting Luka live this down.

"It wasn't— I didn't— She just—…" The pinkette failed to form a coherent sentence. Her mind was in overdrive, and her thoughts tumbled over one another as she struggled to find something to say. She needed to say something. Anything to stop Lily from continuing to tease her.

The blonde laughed. "She just kissed you! And you liked it, since you remember the flavor. I mean, really. I was just singing some Katy Perry, trying to be funny and all," she pointed out.

'_I know, thank you, Captain Obvious,'_ Luka thought, still flustered.

"But then—Geez! You kissed Miku-chan! Or, well, Miku-chan kissed you," Lily corrected herself. "So what was it like? How'd it even happen?"

Luka opened her mouth, and then closed it. If she wasn't careful with her words, she was sure Lily would find a way to make things sound worse than they really were. "I had cream on my face, from the cake," she began slowly. "And suddenly Miku-chan was in front of me, and I couldn't fathom why she would be so close… And I just couldn't stop staring at her eyes—.." No, she wouldn't continue with that.

"Uhm, anyway, she just suddenly kissed the cream off. And then kissed me on the lips," Luka finished hurriedly. "It was just so—"

"Incredible that you suddenly fell head over heels for Hatsune Miku," Lily concluded. "I completely understand. She's easy on the eyes, can sing, can dance… Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if she was great in bed— OOF!"

The pinkette's palm forcefully made contact with the blonde's face at such a ludicrous speed that it had thrown the blonde onto her back. When Lily opened her eyes, she saw Luka's dark denim jeans stride past her, making their way to the door. "Ah—Wait! Come back!" She groaned, as she sat up, her head still swimming.

Luka paused, one hand already gripping the door knob. She turned her head slightly so she could peer at Lily from over her shoulder. '_What is it now?'_ she thought, with a sense of dread. Her face had just returned back to its natural complexion. Luka wasn't ready for her another blush attack. It was too bad that Lily knew exactly how to push her buttons, and that Luka would constantly forgive her. It wasn't in her nature to be upset with someone, and stay upset. And Lily knew this very well. This fact about Luka was constantly exploited by her when they were growing up.

"That wasn't your first kiss, was it?"

Blood rushed back up into Luka's face. She said nothing, and opted to exit the room instead. As she shut the door behind her, a gasp could be heard from within the bedroom. Said gasp was followed by a, "HOLY SHIT! STRAWBERRY WAS YOUR-…"

The door clicked shut and muffled the rest of Lily's words.

At this rate, the blush on Luka's cheeks would become permanent.

* * *

><p>As Luka walked down the hallway, she was a bit surprised to see the resident twins run out of Meiko's room in a fit of giggles. She was tempted to ask what they were doing, but decided not to, only because her cheeks were still warm. The pinkette gently opened Meiko's door, unsurprised at what she saw.<p>

The older, short haired girl was passed out on the bed. Even though it was nearly four in the afternoon, Luka knew that Meiko would not be up until dinner was ready. Last night, Haku, a neighbor of theirs, had picked Meiko up to go out to drink. The brunette singer returned at seven AM completely wasted.

With a shake of her head, Luka shut the door as quietly as she could before heading into her own bedroom.

At the other end of the mansion, the Kagamines sat giggling in Miki's room. The older twin was literally _rolling on the floor_ laughing, something that Miki thought only happened in anime and manga. The younger twin was seated in a bean bag chair, shaking from laughing.

"Miki-nee! Make sure you have the camera ready!" Rin instructed, between laughs.

Miki nodded, and gave the girl a meek smile. "Hai, hai," she said reassuringly. "I have the camera on and ready. But how will I know when to take the picture?"

"When- pffffft!" Len attempted to speak, but the thought of what would happen later only brought about another round of snickers.

Rin stifled her laughs long enough to answer Miki. "When you hear—"

A scream was heard in the distance.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT THE FUUUUUUUCK HAPPENED TO MY HAIR!"

The twins looked at one another, jumped up to their feet, and dashed out of the room. Startled, Miki ran after them, gripping her camera tightly.

The trio sprinted towards the West Wing, and stopped in their tracks when they saw their three oldest Onee-chan's standing in the hallway.

One was dressed in denim skinny jeans and a white button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up half-way. Luka.

The second was clad in a pair of gray sweatpants, rolled up above the ankles, and a black tank-top. Lily.

The oldest Onee-chan was dressed in a bath towel. But her normally brown hair was now purple. Meiko.

"WHAT THE FUCK!" Meiko continued to shout, as she furiously pointed at her head. "PURPLE? I DON'T WANT TO LOOK LIKE GAKUPO!"

Lily was hugging her sides, laughing uncontrollably. Her eyes were squeezed tight, and a few tear drops rolled down her cheeks.

Luka glanced at the younger Vocaloids, and back at Meiko. "Meiko-san, please, not in front of-!"

"I DON'T CARE IF THEY HEAR ME! FUCK THEM! MY HAIR IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THEIR YOUNG MINDS!"

Rin and Len stood beside Miki. Behind Miki's back, the twins high-fived one another. The cherry haired girl simply took a quick picture of the screaming purple haired onee-chan, the blonde hysterically laughing, and the panicked pinkette.

Mission accomplished.

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><p>"And Luka-senpai had some cream on her face," Miku gushed, while rubbing the lump on the top of her head. The lump was a gift from her best friend, who was currently listening to the story of yesterday's events. "Instead of just wiping it off, I just leaned over and- achoo!"<p>

"Bless you, you bitch of a best friend," Gumi said. Yes, she was still pissed with Miku for making her finish that whole game of DDR just to hear about the date. At least she was feeling better after giving Miku a good conk on the head.

"Arigatou, Gumi-chan," Miku thanked her friend. "Anway, I just leaned over and kissed the cream off. And then I thought, 'Hey! I could just kiss her right now!' So I just went ahead and kissed her. God, Luka-senpai has such soft lips. And she tasted kind of minty. It was refreshing."

The green haired girl nodded as she removed the goggles from her head. "That's great that you got to kiss her and all," she began, her rage finally gone. "And I hate to be the one to burst your bubble…"

That was a lie. Gumi lived for that sort of thing. She was known for being quite blunt with her house mates. Knowing this, Miku was not exactly thrilled about Gumi finding a way to ruin the happy ending to her story.

"What if Luka-nee doesn't like you that way? What if she just isn't into girls, period?" Gumi asked, as the goggles spun around her finger. "Just because you managed to steal a kiss doesn't mean that Luka-nee will instantly fall for you."

The tealette giggled and shook her head. Her hands clasped behind her back as she turned away from the green haired girl. "Oh, Gumi-chan, you're so silly," she continued to giggle. "I know that. I'm not a total idiot."

Okay. Now Gumi was confused. If Miku knew that, then why did she still seem to be in such high spirits? Giggling and acting like everything was going swimmingly was _not_ the reaction that Gumi was expecting. When the tealette looked at Gumi from over her shoulder and stuck her tongue out playfully, the green haired girl felt like yanking the teal haired girls tongue.

Oh no, Megpoid Gumi did _not_ like it when others knew something that she didn't know, especially when it seemed like others could one up her.

"You're so cute when you're confused instead of being Miss Snarky!" Miku laughed, and slowly began to walk towards the door. "But really, I know Luka-senpai will see things my way."

"Yeah? What makes you so sure of that?" Gumi asked, as her fingers clamped around her goggles.

The door opened and Miku stepped half-way through the frame. "Because I'm Hatsune Miku," came her simple reply.

_What?_

"I get what I want. After all, the '_world is mine',_" Miku stated, as she gave her friend a wink and shut the door behind her.

Gumi stared at the door, and folded her arms across her chest. "_What a brat,"_ she thought, but she grinned anyway.

If anyone could win Luka over, Gumi was sure Miku was the girl to do it.

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><p><strong>Note: <strong>And that concludes chapter 3! Thanks for reading the story! (: I'll update the story with another chapter as soon as I can.

To the reviewers:

LukaFan: It was a pleasant surprise, eh? Hahah. And a BAMF is a Big Ass Mother Fucker. But thank you! (:

Lovecakes98: Ah! I didn't even realize I made the two blonde girls have the extremely….. outgoing (and that's putting it lightly) personalities. xD And you're right! Miku is "#01" after all. Hahaha :D Thank you!

PaperCutVictim: Yes! A monstrous sized pizza! I'm sure they could feed China with a pizza that size! ;) I love Love Shine, too. Anything by Riyu Kosaka is quite good, to be honest. And thank you!

Jak656: Thanks! I'm really glad you like it so far! (: But don't worry, there are definitely going to be more chapters of this story. Miku and Luka… We'll see what happens to them!

IdrewAcow: (^o^)b Hearing that I can make everyone laugh really brightens my day! Thank you for your support!

Justa person: YOU, sir/ma'am, have made my day by reviewing and enjoying my story! Domo arigatou gozaimasu!

Baddamobs: Thank you for both of your reviews! I'm glad to hear that I haven't disappointed you. Hahah And I hope that I continue to meet your expectations.

Major Mike Powell III: SIR, YES, SIR! Your review made me laugh quite a bit. I actually have some friends who are affiliated with the Marines. But thank you for your support! I'm happy to have made you laugh. HOO-RA!

AND THUS, I'm done with my third ending note. Thank you for all of your support, and the reviews! (: This is Seishun Vibrations, signing out!


	4. Matryoshka

**Slice of Life**

**Chapter 4 – Matryoshka**

Hello, hello! Thank you for taking the time to look at my story. I'm very grateful for your support and for all of the reviews!

Last chapter primarily focused on Lily and Luka's relationship with one another, so I figured I would reveal more of Gumi and Miku's personalities.

And here we go. Chapter four!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the vocaloids. Just the story. Really.

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><p>The following day had a surprisingly quiet start. Or maybe it was just because Gumi had woken up earlier than usual. A quick glance at the digital clock told her it was 7:15 AM. She was lying in bed, awake, at 7:15 AM. The longer her green eyes focused on those bright red numbers, the more frustrated she became. It took all of the energy that she had, which was close to none at this point, to look away from the cursed clock. Her green eyes focused on the deep green curtains that were drawn closed in front of her windows. "<em>At least I don't have to see that stupid sun yet<em>," She thought sourly. "_And why the hell am I even up now_?" It would be a different story if she had to go to the studio to record a new song. For recording days, she would wake up at 7 in order to make it to the studio by 9.

But she didn't need to go to the studio today. At least, she didn't think she had to be there.

So she should be asleep.

Gumi let out a frustrated sigh, and hastily snatched an object off from one of her pillows. Eyes filled with malice, she glared at the cell phone in her hand. This was the accursed item responsible for waking her from her dreams.  
>Okay, she knew it wasn't the phone's fault. Not entirely, anyway. The one at fault was the person who had sent her a text message at 4 AM.<p>

_"I just woke up from a dream I had! And it was great... Now I know every step to take to win her over. (^o^) -Miku"_

It was a simple enough text. Most people would dismiss it with a passive text. But Gumi was not like most people. She tended to be manipulative when she wanted something done; a master of silky words and a quick thinker. She was a strategist, a mastermind, or even a manipulative bitch when the time called for it. Yet this text had kept her brain running from the moment she had finished reading it. The message had cleared the fog of drowsiness from Gumi's mind, and instantly made her alert. Even at 4 AM, she was able to collect her thoughts and think the past few days over. And after thinking for a good five minutes, she came to a conclusion.

How in the world could Hatsune Miku formulate a plan to win over Luka-nee without Gumi's help?

This single thought only provoked the green haired girl into staying awake as she struggled to reach a plausible answer. For hours, she had tossed and turned under her covers as her brain spat out random reasons for Miku's text.

"_Maybe Miku-chan wasn't as dumb as she sometimes acted_." Instantly dismissed. Gumi knew first hand just how intelligent Miku could be if she applied herself.

"_Maybe Miku-chan had no idea what she was thinking, since she had sent the text so damn early in the morning_." Possible. But Gumi didn't know why Miku would decide to send a text about Luka randomly. Based on past experiences, Miku's texts about Luka were either slightly perverse or begged the green haired girl to use her older cousin, Gakupo, to gather some info on the pinkette.

"_Maybe Miku-chan had gone out drinking with Meiko-nee and Haku-nee. Therefore, she would have a ridiculous confidence booster and could temporarily believe that she could win Luka-nee over—…_" No, that didn't seem possible. The text message was spelled out perfectly.

Reason after reason was quickly dismissed by Gumi's too logical brain… And had, unfortunately, kept her awake until now. Yet, she couldn't stop thinking about Miku's message. She supposed it was because Miku had coaxed her into promising to hooking up the tealette and the pinkette. And how could Gumi possibly fulfill that promise if the tealette was perfectly fine on her own? Just the thought of not knowing how Miku could succeed without her was driving her insane. Miku had always needed Gumi to at least give her a tip or two for classes when they had met in high school. And even when they had both become residents of the Vocaloid household, Miku still would ask Gumi for advice on what to wear for her music videos. So there was no way that Miku could figure things out by herself.

The green haired girl's train of thought came to a halt. Did she really think so lowly of her best friend?

"_No,"_ Gumi reasoned with herself, her brows creasing together. _"I don't think she's helpless. I just want to make sure things go smoothly. Miku-chan won't think about what could happen to her… She's too focused on Luka-nee to notice that she could get hurt."_

Yes, that was it. She didn't want to see her best friend get hurt. And maybe not knowing about Miku's plan bothered her a little bit. Just a little.

A reluctant glance at the clock told the troubled girl that it was now 7:30. "Maybe I should get out of bed and make breakfast for everyone," she mumbled to herself. There was a short pause before she snorted. Her? Make breakfast? Never.

Gumi shut her eyes and buried her face into a pillow. She needed sleep, and now seemed like a good a time as any to get back the sleep that she had lost from thinking.

* * *

><p>Downstairs, the resident tealette stood in front of the smooth surfaced, stainless steel range. She sneezed, and rubbed her nose.<p>

"Someone must be thinking poorly about you," mused a blue haired man.

"Ne, ne, Nii-san! I'm sure it's nothing major," the tealette replied, as she tied an apron on. On the countertop beside the range was an assortment of ingredients. Flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, milk, a few eggs, butter, vanilla extract, and an assortment of fruits.

Forget Taco Tuesday. Pancake Tuesday reigned supreme in this household.

Kaito smiled at his younger cousin. One arm was propped onto the dark gray granite countertop of the kitchen's island bar, and his slender face was cupped in his open palm. "You never know," he teased. "Luka-chan might be thinking about what an awful kid you are."

Laughing, Miku began to make the pancake batter. She was careful to make extra batter to set aside for when Meiko decided to wake up. "Nii-san, don't say that. If she thinks anyone is awful, it has to be you."

"Eh? Me?" Kaito asked, somewhat bewildered.

"Hai, you," Miku nodded, as she took out the pans and set them on the range. "Because you let Meiko-nee go crazy with alcohol."

Kaito chuckled, and shook his head.

"And because you and Meiko-nee aren't quiet."

The soft laughter stopped as Kaito's blue eyes went wide. "Wh-wha-?"

The tealette merrily scooped some of the batter onto a pan, an innocent smile painted on her face. "Luka-senpai and Lily-nee were talking about it the other day," she sang. "They were telling Gakupo-nii to tell you to try and keep it down at night so they could sleep. I think Lily-nee said that Meiko-nee was screaming at one point." She shrugged as she watched the pancake cook. "And I'm pretty sure that both nee-sans said they hoped you used a condom—"

_SLAM._

Kaito had slammed his fist down on the granite countertop. He was leaning out of his seat, towards Miku, with an expression of mortification, embarrassment, and disbelief on his face. "Little girls shouldn't eavesdrop on her senpai's conversations!" He reprimanded her. "Especially when it comes to things like that!"

"Things like what, Nii-san?" The girl asked, continuing on with her innocent façade.

"Like sex—Er, no, bad things. Things that you shouldn't know about until after you're married," Kaito said, as sternly as he could. When he noticed just how wide his cousin's smile was, his expression faltered. It was hard enough for him to be serious with the younger Vocaloids. What Kaito even weaker was that angelic like smile of Miku's. And the tealette knew Kaito would let her get away with murder if she simply flashed him a smile. "Just…. Don't listen to what your senpais say when it comes to my relationship with Meiko-chan, okay?"

This earned a giggle from the tealette. "Oh, don't worry, Nii-san. I completely understand," she replied, as she continued to fill the kitchen with the aroma of fresh pancakes.

"Huh?"

"Meiko-nee is pretty! And she's really curvy, too," Miku continued. "I wonder if she's so great in bed that she makes you scream—"

"HOLD IT! STOP! TOMARE! NO! BAD!" Kaito shouted, arms flailing. He stretched across the counter, and gripped Miku by the shoulders. "No! Little girls should not—"

"I bet you buy her lingerie."

"I do, actually. White and red are my favorites on her—Wait!" The blue haired man covered his face with one hand and shook his head. "Why am I even telling you this?"

Another round of giggles was brought about from the tealette. "It's okay, Nii-san! I think red would be good for Meiko-nee. And for Luka-senpai, black would obviously be best."

Kaito, to his extreme horror, found himself imagining Luka in black lingerie. The more he thought, the more he became aware of a pulsing from his nose. "You're right— Wait, what did you just say?" He felt the tealette squirm away from his grip as she turned away from him.

Miku balanced two plates of pancakes in her hands and danced towards the dining room table. She set them down, and went back into the kitchen. Playfully, she stuck her tongue out at her dumbstruck older cousin. "Luka-senpai. In black. Lace. Lingerie," She enunciated slowly, making sure her point had gotten across. A satisfied smile appeared on her face when Kaito's cheeks flushed. She held out a paper towel to him. "Your nose is bleeding."

"Wha—OH SHIT!" He snatched the paper towel from the tealette's slender fingers, covered his nose, and nearly sprinted out of the kitchen in embarrassment.

* * *

><p>Now alone, the tealette sat in the empty dining room by herself. She had finished cleaning the dishes and the kitchen, and naturally the next thing to do was to reward herself with a pancake or two. After all, she had just made breakfast for her house mates.<p>

Her feet swung beneath her as she put a forkful of a fluffy pancake in her mouth. The fork remained in her mouth as she closed her hands and cupped her head in her hands. Those brilliant teal eyes closed as she lost herself in her thoughts. In retrospect, she shouldn't have sent that text message to Gumi. The tealette knew that a message like that would either be dismissed, or bother Gumi to the extreme. The corners of her mouth twitched into a smile at the thought of Gumi restlessly spending the night trying to figure out what her text could mean, and why she had been left out of the plan.

Miku's thoughts shifted from Gumi being irritated to a day they had spent in the recording studio together. A day very dear to Miku..

It was about a year ago when the two stood in the recording booth. For the past few days, the duo had practiced in the studio for their new song, a duet. The tealette wasn't quiet keen on singing the duet with Gumi. Oh no, she had nothing against her friend. It was just that the song wasn't very… Her. The teal idol was known for pop songs such as "World is Mine" and "Melt." How could she be expected to please her fans with a song that sounded like the composer was tripping on acid when he wrote it? "Matryoshka"? What kind of insane title was that, anyway? A sidelong glance at her green haired friend told her that Gumi was quiet excited about the song.

"_How can Gumi-chan be excited when just sings harmony for most of the song? She only has a few solo lines,"_ Miku thought, a little exasperated with her friend. The green haired girl was listening to the music for the song, eyes shut tight, as she hummed her part. _"I don't get it. I know if it were me, I'd hate to be stuck with the harmony part. At least when I sang duets with the others, we traded on and off for the lead part. But Gumi-chan…"_ A pause as she continued to study her friend. _"She's basically my back-up. So why isn't she upset?"_

As if she were blessed with the power of mind-reading, Gumi spoke up. "I'm just happy that we have a song together," she said, as she removed the giant studio headphones from her head. The headphones now rested against her neck as she turned her head to look at the now flabbergasted tealette. "We don't really get the chance to sing together. And even if I have to sing harmony for this song, I don't really give a shit."

Miku's brows rose, and she was clearly surprised by her friend's words. Gumi gave the tealette a grin, and nudged her in the side. "What? Shocked that I knew you were thinking about me or something?" she asked, as she stripped her head of her favorite orange goggles.  
>The tealette numbly nodded her head.<p>

"The face you were making said it all, baka. I know you can be an open book sometimes, but geez. At least try and act like everything's cool." Gumi paused and raised her free hand up to Miku's face. She curled her middle finger in, and flicked the confused girl in the forehead.

An involuntary yelp escaped the tealette as she stepped back, her fingers gently rubbing the assaulted area.

Gumi's grin vanished and was replaced by an uncharacteristically serious expression. "Don't go around pitying me over something as stupid as who sings most of the song," she said, her tone voice of any sort of amusement. "I don't care who sings what. As a friend, I'll back you up, whether it's in a song or out in the real world. And I expect you, as my lieutenant, to do the same for me." The green haired girl closed the distance between her and Miku by taking a mere step forward.

Subconsciously, Miku leaned her upper half away, wanting to avoid another flick to the head.

At this, Gumi snorted. "Hold still, lietutenant," she ordered.

Miku obliged, and held still. She was told to stay still, but that didn't mean she couldn't close her eyes as she braced herself for another minute blow.

Instead, weight could be felt on top of her head. The tealette hesitated, and opened one eye, trying to catch a glimpse at what could have caused her head to feel heavier. Imagine her surprise when she saw that Gumi was up on the tips of her toes, adjusting the orange pair of goggles.

The very same pair of goggles that were normally on Gumi's head.

They were now on top of _her_ head.

"There. Now you look like a real lieutenant," Gumi mused, as she stood flat on her feet. Arms folded across her chest, her deep green eyes looked Miku over. She nodded in approval.

Gingerly, Miku touched the goggles on her head, and gave her friend a confused look. "What…?" She could have sworn she saw faint pink dance upon Gumi's cheeks, something that she had never seen before.

Gumi quickly turned her head away from Miku, opting to stare at the wall of the recording booth. "They're my goggles, okay?" she snapped back, her voice lacking a little of its normal sarcastic drawl. "I figured… You know… It'd just make you realize that I'm cool with singing back-up. Plus, I wanted to see if you'd actually be able to pull off the goggle look…"

It was Miku's turn to look amused. "Ne, Gumi-chaaaan!" she sang, as she embraced the short haired girl in a hug. "I didn't know you could be so sweet!" Giggling, she rubbed her head against the other girls head.

In an instant, Gumi's face exploded into a deep crimson. "Wha—Get off!—S-shut up! I just wanted that stupid look to get of your face!" she protested, as she tried to push Miku off of her. "I wasn't trying to make you smile—I SAID GET OFF! YOU INSUBORDINATE IDIOT!"

The lieutenant clung to her captain, giggling at how embarrassed said captain was.

From the control booth, the producers looked at one another. They smiled, and shook their heads. Only Miku would be able to fluster the normally sarcastic Gumi.

* * *

><p><em>Thump.<em>

Teal eyes shot open as the tranquil silence of the dining room was shattered by the offending thump. They quickly scanned the room and halted once they found the source of the noise. Directly across from her was a head with a bed-ridden green mop of hair was pressed against the wooden table. "Eh? Gumi-chan? Why are you up so early?"

There was a stretch of silence as Miku waited for an answer.

"Gumi-chan?"

"_A message I've thought too much about,"_ Gumi sang softly, her head still on the table. Lyrics to a song. But that line just happened o be the perfect answer to the tealette's question.

Miku blinked, and smiled a little bit. "_Oh, that's the song from that day…" _she thought to herself.

"_Maybe it'll reach somebody, who can say?"_ Miku sang back, unaware that Gumi had answered her question.

"_Certainly, I've always been this way." _Gumi sat up, and focused her green eyes on the teal ones on the other side of the table.

"_A patched up, crazy matryoshka,"_ the tealette continued to sing, happy that Gumi was singing the melody with her rather than harmony. She shut her eyes, the background music for the song playing through her mind. _"A package sung by a headache…"_

"_Time may pass, but the hands are at 4," _Gumi sang back, as she rose to her feet. The corners of her mouth were turned down, and one of her eyes twitched.

"_Don't tell anyone; the world will turn upside down-!"_ Miku's beautiful melody was cut off by a pancake that had been thrown at her face.

Gumi glared at her. "Stupid! You woke me up at 4 AM! OVER A TEXT MESSAGE! NORMAL PEOPLE ARE SLEEPING AT 4 IN THE GOD DAMN MORNING!" She inhaled sharply, and sat back down in her seat, arms folded across her chest. "But thanks for breakfast."

The pancake fell off of Miku's face and onto her lap. Her teal eyes looked at the pancake, then at her best friend, then back at the pancake. A small smile was on her face, and it took all of her willpower to suppress a giggle.

They certainly were a pair of patched up, crazy matryoshkas.

* * *

><p><strong>Note:<strong> The end of chapter 4! I hope you managed to make it to the end of it without losing too many brain cells. :P

I decided that Kaito and Miku would be cousins, and Gumi and Gakupo would be cousins. Just because I can do that as an author.

And if you haven't heard "Matryoshka", I highly recommend it. It's definitely one of my favorite Vocaloid duets, if not my favorite. The way Miku and Gumi's voice blend together in this song is absolutely fantastic, in my opinion.

To the reviewers:

_Lovecakes98:_ Actually, Toeto-Luka was somewhat the inspiration for Luka's personality for this fanfiction. At least, the extremely shy part of Luka. xD I love Katy Perry. o She's a great artist. But yes! I had to use the song with Lily. It only made sense. :P And yes, strawberry, because I was eating strawberry pocky when I wrote that part of the story.

_Justa person:_ I'm glad you love how I portrayed the characters, _ma'am_, hehe. :P Miku's plan will slowly be revealed, all in due time.

_Thyrokio:_ Luka, a pink kitty? The image is too moe for my brain to comprehend! (By the way, I love your icon. Yui = win)

_PaperCutVictim:_ (^o^)b Glad I could make you laugh! I figured that someone had to get obscenely angry in this chapter, and Meiko just seemed like the right Vocaloid. Thanks!

_Ocean Prince:_ Aaawww! I'm glad I could brighten your day up. I hope you're feeling better today! (:

_Jak656:_ Luka? Like the kiss? Don't even mention that to Lily, or it'd bring about a whole new round of merciless teasing! Thank you for your support!

_LukaFan:_ Thank you, thank you! Toeto Luka was my source of inspiration for creating Luka's incredibly shy and reserved side of her personality. (^o^) But I agree. Miku needs to learn how to share.

_Meislovely:_ Arigatou gozaimasu! I'm glad that the two of you found this fanfic to be amusing. (^^)b

_IdrewAcow:_ Don't worry, the dye will fade out of her hair… eventually. _ Eventually…

_Major Mike Powell III: _xD Why do I always smile at your reviews? Oh, because they're so funny! But thank you for your support!

_:_ Ah! Pinoy ka? :D That's awesome. Hahaha. But thank you for the compliments.. They're making me blush! I'm happy to hear that you like my writing style. Thank you so much!

_Namegoeshere:_ hahahaha! That would have been an interesting review to read, though! Thank you for your support. :D

And in conclusion… I'd really like to say "Thank you" once more. I know I've probably said it at least a hundred times by now, but I really mean it! I wasn't expecting to receive such nice reviews from everyone. It really made my week, knowing that my mindless writings have made some of you smile, or even laugh.

I'll be back soon with a new chapter. Until then, take care!


	5. Just Be Friends

**Slice of Life**

**Chapter 5 – Just Be Friends**

Hello, bonjour, hola, and konnichi wa! I'm back with another chapter! Thank you for your continued support, and I hope that I continue to meet your expectations.

And now without further ado, chapter 5!

**Disclaimer: **I still don't own any of the Vocaloids. I only own this story, the product of my mind.

* * *

><p>A soft, intricate melody came from a baby grand piano located in the bedroom of Hatsune Miku. The owner of the room sat on the black piano bench, eyes closed. Her teal-polished fingers danced across the white and black ivory keys, stroking out a masterful melody. The girl was completely absorbed in what she was doing. It wasn't very often that Miku allowed one to enter her room while she played the piano, but this was an exception. The girl had invited Megpoid Gumi into her bedroom after breakfast to discuss her strategy of winning the heart of her favorite housemate.<p>

"You really think that will work?" Gumi asked once the piece had ended. On her face was the unmistakable look of skepticism.

The tealette opened her eyes, and gave her friend a sidelong glance. She smiled and nodded once before shifting her attention back to the waiting keys of the piano.

Even though she had listened to Miku play the piano before, Gumi still found it fascinating. Yes, everyone in the house could sing extremely well. But only a few of them had ever bothered to become virtuosos with an instrument. After living in the Vocaloid household for a few years, Gumi still had no idea when Miku was able to find the time to practice. The two were always together, so she supposed it had to be when everyone was getting ready for bed.

The green haired girls thoughts were interrupted when she heard Miku play the opening lines for one of the most famous songs in Vocaloid history. A pretty melody when played properly on the piano; the mood it set was solemn, filled with hints of sorrow.

"'_Just Be Friends'?"_ Gumi thought, with a smirk of amusement. _"Does this idiot ever stop thinking about Luka-nee?"_

"It's a pretty song, ne, Gumi-chan?" Miku asked softly, as she continued to press down on the ivory keys.

Gumi nodded in agreement. Yes, the meaning behind the song may be sad, but it was an excellent song. She knew better than to actually speak and interrupt Miku's concentration. The tealette may have spoken to her, but she was sure that Miku was still focused on finishing the piece. After all, it was one of Miku's personal favorites.

When the final chord was played, the tealette exhaled slowly. Her eyes fluttered open, and she spun around in her seat so she was facing Gumi. The usual smile was on her face as she waited for her friend to begin her barrage of questions, or point out all of the flaws in her plan. Yes, Miku was well aware that there were some vulnerable spots in her proposed blueprint; but at this point, she didn't care. All that mattered now was winning the heart of her beloved Luka-senpai.

The green haired girl seated across from her impatiently fiddled with the zipper of her red zip-up hoodie; a souvenir from the shooting of their video for "Matryoshka". Gumi's hair was still unkempt, a sign that she had literally dragged herself out of bed because of the intoxicating smell of pancakes that had wafted from the kitchen and up into her room. Now that they were seated in Miku's room, she realized how sloppy she must have looked when compared to her friend. Miku had already tied her hair up into her signature twin tails, and donned a pair of white shorts and a striped navy blue and white ¾ sleeved shirt. Gumi herself wore only a white tank top, the unique red hoodie, and a pair of gray short shorts.

Whatever.

"Yes, Gumi-chan, I think it'll work," Miku broke the heavy silence, and snapped Gumi out from her musings. The smile stayed on her face even when she saw her friend's green eyes narrow.

Gumi shook her head, and pulled the hood on to cover up her bed head. "Mou, Miku-chan, you have to be the biggest idiot I've ever met if you think you can win her over that way," she frowned. "I'm pretty sure Luka-nee doesn't like girls. And even if she did, don't you think Lily-nee would have snatched her up by now?"

At this, Miku's smile faltered slightly. It was true. Since Luka had moved into the Vocaloid household, she had never once displayed a preference of girls over boys, or vice versa. And even when Gakupo arrived, things had remained the same in the house. He may have once shown interest in Luka (and this was widely supported on the internet, and exploited by their music producers), but she had quickly established the fact that she had no romantic feelings towards him. And Lily….

What was Masuda Lily to Megurine Luka? Miku and the other Vocaloids knew that the two long haired, young woman had grown up together. But other than that, the others held different views of the two's relationship. And a whole hour had once been devoted to discussing Lily and Luka.

"Childhood friends," Kaito and Meiko agreed. "Which makes them best friends now."

"Obviously, they're best friends. I guess it's a little surprising, if you look at the differences in their personalities," Furukawa Miki had said.

"Fraternal twins, where Lily-nee-chan or Luka-nee-chan's parents gave one up for adoption because they couldn't afford to keep them both!" the Kagamine twins had stated simultaneously. "They kind of look similar… Blue eyes, right?"  
>Gakupo had joined the twins in their ludicrous idea by adding, "But by a twist of fate, they had grown up on the same street, instantly drawn to one another because of they felt like they were missing a piece of themselves!"<p>

"Secret lovers," Gumi had stated then, with an apathetic shrug.

Miku sincerely hoped that Lily and Luka weren't lovers. She shuddered at the recollection of this memory, and focused back on the conversation at hand. Her and Gumi. Discussing her plan to win Megurine Luka.

Oblivious to Miku's minor flashback, Gumi continued to speak. "Seriously, though," she said, her tone blunt. "If Luka-nee liked girls, then I think Lily-nee would have asked her out. There's gotta be something going on between them. You can tell, can't you, Miku-chan?"

The tealette stiffened a little, and avoided making eye contact with her friend. Her teal eyes looked back down at the worn keys of her piano. It was true. There was something different about Luka when she was around Lily. It was almost as if Luka let her guard down when she knew that Lily was close by. The pinkette seemed more at ease, as if having the long haired blonde with her made things more bearable.

And seeing Luka like that with Lily vexed Miku. Why couldn't Luka be like that when she was around her? What made Lily so special?

"Ah, right," Miku responded softly. "But, I don't think things are like that between them. They're just best friends."

"And best friends are extremely close," Gumi added.

"We're best friends, but we don't see each other that way!" Miku said, exasperated.

"But Miku-chan, I think you're so beautiful. Sexy, even," Gumi said, with a straight face. "I'd totally bang you right now."

"Exactly—Wait, what did you just say?" Miku's eyes widened as she stared at her friend.

Those teal eyes met dark green ones. The longer they held their eye contact, the more heated the tealette felt her cheeks become.

Then the green eyes closed as the owner began to laugh uncontrollably. "Idiot! I was kidding!" Gumi laughed, as she clutched her sides.

Flustered now, the tealette stood up. "I-I knew that!" She stammered, as she headed out of the room. Her cheeks puffed up as she tried to glower at her best friend. "I'm just going to go ahead and put the plan into action—You better not tell anyone!"

Her green haired friend quieted her laughter, and grinned at Miku. "Yeah, yeah," she snickered. "I won't tell anyone. Have fun with that."

One last huff, and Miku exited her bedroom, not caring that Gumi was still there.

The green haired girl leaned back in the seat, arms behind her head. She continued to grin to herself. These verbal exchanges were nothing new to her relationship with Miku. They were the type of best friends who loved to get the other riled up.

And Gumi loved the fact that this time it was easy to get Miku worked up.

* * *

><p>Alone and able to gather her thoughts, Miku strode down the hallway. Her mind was still on the conversation that she had just ended.<p>

_"Gumi-chan can laugh all she wants or call me an idiot,"_ she thought to herself. _"But I know this will work. It has to."_

A soft sigh escaped her lips as she rubbed her temples. There was no use in bringing herself down by thinking about Lily. Those thoughts would only distract her from her plan. Gumi didn't have to bring the blonde to her attention; it wasn't the first time that she had considered Masuda Lily to be a threat. With Lily being so close to Luka, Miku naturally considered that the blonde would be a strong influence on the pinkette's opinion of her. That was why Miku had already included the blonde into her plan.

"That's right, the plan," Miku reminded herself, as she opened her teal eyes. They focused straight ahead. As she walk, her posture became better, thanks to the sudden drive of determination that flooded her mind.

It was easy enough. Even Gumi even had to admit that the plan was so simple, that even a idiot could follow it. And she proceeded to point out that in this case, Miku was the idiot. (Gumi's insults were always dismissed by Miku. The teal haired girl knew that Gumi was the type to pick on the ones she cared for, so it was easy for Miku to let Gumi's insults roll off her shoulders.)

"_Step one,"_ the teal haired girl thought, as she held up a finger while going over her plan. "_Stay on Luka-senpai's good side. But give her enough space so she isn't uncomfortable."_

She frowned a little bit at the second thought. Giving Luka space was already hard enough. But after that date, that _kiss, _Luka was going to need to feel comfortable around Miku. If Luka felt awkward around her, then she might as well kiss any chance that she may have had with the pinkette goodbye. Therefore, she needed to be friendly but not too friendly.

A second finger went up as she continued to think and walk. _"Step two, lower her inhibitions."_ Here, Gumi pointed out that Miku may run into even more trouble. Getting Luka to slowly let her guard down around Miku would be tricky now that the pinkette was even _more_ aware of the younger girl's affections. How exactly Miku would be able to pull this step off was still somewhat of an enigma to her.

"Maybe if we spent more time together- eep!" Miku's mumbling was interrupted as she walked into something soft and warm. She could have sworn that from her peripheral vision she saw a flash of pink as well.

Wait. _Pink?_

A squeak was heard from above her, and Miku quickly lifted her head up. Her teal eyes took in the sight of a blushing Luka. Her senpai's usually composed face looked different. For starters, the blue eyes that would normally project a sense of calm were wide with shock. Luka's soft, pale pink lips were also pursed tightly together.

The tealette tried to make sense of what was going on. _"Why would Luka-senpai look so flustered? And why did it suddenly get warm—Oh."_

Luka's expression of shock and embarrassment…

The warmth surrounding Miku's face…

Pink in the peripheral of her vision…

The pieces of the puzzle clicked together in Miku's mind. She, Hatsune Miku, had walked right into Megurine Luka's chest. She must have absentmindedly walked all the way down the hall into the wing housing the older Vocaloids. And her feet had subconsciously led her straight into the arms, well, bust, of her dearly beloved!

Her confused expression was quickly replaced by an overjoyed smile. How lucky was she to have been given such an incredible opportunity at 10 AM? And on a _Tuesday-_

"!"

But it was a shame that her state of euphoria was interrupted by Luka's shrill scream, and the warmth that had once enveloped Miku's face disappeared. The embarrassed pinkette had stepped away the tealette, and covered her (accidentally) violated chest with her arms.

So much for giving Luka some space…

"Ah-! Luka-senpai!" Miku wailed, as she quickly reined in her perverted thoughts about how soft Luka's chest was. "It was an accident! I swear!"

The tealette frantically looked up and down the halls, hoping no one would come rushing towards them to investigate the cause of the scream. But, due to a stroke of bad luck, someone was running down the hallways. The investigator had their cheeks puffed out, a result of stuffing the remnants of their pancake into their mouth. They were running at full speed, ignoring the fact that they were still in their pajamas. Pajamas which consisted of black sweatpants and an oversized white shirt. And the owner of such comfortable pajamas happened to have her long blonde hair tied up in a ponytail; her way of hiding the awful bedhead that she tended to get.

Yes, Masuda Lily had shoved her breakfast into her mouth once she heard her best friend scream. Why waste such a delicious pancake? Everyone knows pancakes taste best while they're still warm.

"Lu-chan! Lu-chaaaaaan!" Lily panted, as she stopped beside the red-faced pinkette, and the embarrassed tealette. The blonde's deep blue eyes looked at Miku, wondering what could have happened to have caused her dear friend to panic.

Miku looked up at Lily with her wide, pleading, teal eyes. "It was an accident! I wasn't paying attention to where I was going—Had a lot on my mind, see. It's kind of Gumi-chan's fault—Uhm, anyway—And I ended up walking into Luka-senpai," she explained in one breath. The younger girl took a deep breath before she continued. "Well, I walked into Luka-senpai's, uhm.. You know. Her—"

"My chest!" Luka interrupted, as she hid behind Lily. "Miku-chan—Sh-she walked into my chest. But it was an accident, so it was nothing really. I was just over reacting. Now, I think I'll go downstairs and get something to eat." She was eager to avoid giving Lily any reason to tease her. And she knew that what had just happened would be teasing material; at least a week's worth, in Lily's books.

"Mm… I walked into her face first, might I add," Miku chimed in, with a nod. As soon as the words left her mouth, she instantly regretted saying them. Her beloved pink haired senpai's cheeks only darkened in hue.

Lily looked at Miku, and then glanced over her shoulder at Luka. "Is that true? Face first?" she asked, the corners of her lips twitching ever so slightly.

That tone of voice which Lily was using was something Luka dreaded. It sounded like the blonde was just too happy to hear that Luka had a run in with the girl who had stolen her first kiss. "Ah—Well, y-yes…" Luka answered meekly.

The blonde's deep blue eyes seemed to sparkle at Luka. It was then that Luka knew she was in trouble.

"Oh ho ho!" Lily gasped, as she whirled around to face her friend. "What's this? Getting so comfortable around little Miku-chan, are we?"

Frantic now, Luka waved her hands in front of her in protest. "No! It was nothing like that—"

"Were you trying to seduce this little girl?" Lily wrapped an arm around Miku's shoulders, and pulled the younger girl close to her side. "It's illegal for you to have relations with a minor, ya know."

"Lily-chan! Stop saying things like that!"

Lily was only encouraged by Luka's feebly protests. "I know you have an amazing rack and all, but geez, Lu-chan! Taking advantage of a young girl, especially when you know how much she likes you!" She continued. "Were you hoping to get another taste of her infamous strawberry chapstick?"

At this, Luka's face was completely scarlet. She clamped a hand over Lily's mouth, her eyes wide as they pleaded with her friend. "Lily! Stop!"

The tealette looked up at her blonde senpai, a frown on her face. How dare this blonde buffoon tease Luka-senpai like this! Miku slipped away from Lily's grasp, and glared at Lily. "Mou, Lily-nee, you shouldn't tease Luka-senpai like that," she scolded. "Look! She looks like a tomato! A pink haired tomato!"

This did not help Luka's mood at all. The pinkette couldn't bear to hear what else Lily may have to say. Rather than stand there and take any more of her best friend's jokes, Luka ran into her bedroom. The door slammed shut behind her.

Both Lily and Miku stared at the door in silence. Simultaneously, they rounded on each other.

"So does Luka have a big chest or what?"

"Yes, she does, Lily-nee."

The pair continued to look at one another, blue eyes meeting teal. After a few more seconds of silence, the two began to laugh, successfully breaking any lingering tension.

Lily then shoved her hands into the pockets of her sweatpants, an easy grin on her face. "But seriously, Miku-chan," she said, once the tealette had quieted down. "You really like Luka-chan, huh?"

Miku blinked, and nodded her head a few times. "Yeah, I do," she answered without any hesitation, returning Lily's grin with a smile of her own. This must have been the first conversation she had alone with her blonde senpai, and she planned on getting every second's worth of it. "Why do you ask?"

The older girl shrugged her shoulders. "Just curious," Lily answered. "Good luck with trying to get her, though. You're going to need it. The last relationship Luka was in was back when we were in high school. And trust me, that didn't last very long."

"Really? How long were they—"

"Just a week," Lily interjected. "Apparently it took the guy a few months to get Luka to even warm up to the idea of dating him."

A week. Luka's last relationship had only lasted a week. And it took _months_ for this guy to win her over.

Wait. Luka dated a _boy?_

Judging from the sudden crestfallen look on Miku's face, Lily realized that mentioning Luka's ex-boyfriend was not the best thing to say. "Ah—Uh-… He was an idiot to begin with," she added quickly. "But don't worry. I don't think Luka really cares what gender a person is, as long as she likes them—"

"So she's bi?"

"… I wouldn't say that," Lily answered. "Look, kid. I was just trying to avoid completely crushing any hope you had. I don't really know what kind of person Luka's into. She's never really talked about it. I just know she's a big romanticist… She's really into those fancy candle-lit dinners and all."

The tealette's face brightened at this sudden revelation. Oh, she could definitely use these new tidbits of information for later use. "Really? That sounds just like Luka-senpai," she giggled. "Is there anything else you could tell me about her?"

Lily laughed. "If you want to date Luka-chan, then I think you should find out more about her on your own. It wouldn't be very fair to Luka-chan if I told you all the ways to impress her," she reasoned. "Think of it this way. Wouldn't you feel better knowing you won her heart all by herself instead of having me giving you the cheat sheet to get to her heart?"

A few seconds passed by in silence as the younger girl mused over the words that the blonde had said. "I suppose you have a point there, Lily-nee," Miku finally responded. She gave her senpai a warm smile as she clasped her hands behind her back. "Thank you for your surprisingly helpful words of wisdom."

At this, the older girl shrugged. "Nah, don't thank me... I didn't really do anything except give my opinion," Lily replied. Yawning, she rubbed at her eyes and turned her back to the younger girl. "I think I'm going to go take a nap."

"Ah, okay. Have a good nap then," the tealette sang, as she began to skip down the hallway, heading towards the East Wing to tell Gumi about her newfound knowledge on Luka.

Lily began to walk to her bedroom. She opened the door, but made no motion to enter the room. "Hey, Miku-chan?"

"Yes?" Miku stopped skipping.

"What will you do if Luka-chan doesn't want to be in a relationship, and just wants to be your friend?" Lily hoped that she wasn't putting a damper on Miku's mood. But she was genuinely concerned with how things may go between Luka and Miku.

A giggle came from the teal haired girl as she began to skip away once more. Lily could only watch Miku leave in silence. With a shake of her head, she entered her bedroom. Masuda Lily only wished that the teal girl had answered her question.

If worst came to worst, would Hatsune Miku be able to accept that she and Megurine Luka may only just be friends?

* * *

><p><strong>Note:<strong> Yay! The end of chapter 5. Damn, I'm on a roll! I hope this chapter wasn't too difficult to follow..

I'm looking forward to writing the next chapter. (: Primarily, it will focus on Luka…

_To the reviewers:_

_Major Mike Powell III: _xD Thank you! Happy to hear that even after all of that, my story was still amusing. :P The whole "captain" and "lieutenant" relationship between Gumi and Miku was inspired by your username, actually.

_meislovely:_ LOL Oh, Kuro, don't hurt Shiro! xD I don't mind if Shiro's excited! Thank you for your review, guys!

_Thyrokio:_ It seems that your wish is slowly being granted. (: I promise you'll find out more of Miku's plan in the near future!

_Justa Person: _Oh man. Are my chapters really getting longer? o.o;; That's.. a good thing, right? xD;; I hope so.. But thank you! (^o^) Hearing you say that my work gets better really makes me feel good about myself! You're more than just a person. You're a really nice person :D

_LukaFan:_ hahah! Yes, Miku did send the text to annoy Gumi. Well, she did want to tell Gumi that she had a plan. But the two of them have that relationship where they like to tease one another. XD And don't worry! Next chapter has a lot to do with Luka and her thoughts. :P

_LoveCakes98:_ ….. LOL Why did your review make me laugh! XDDDD But I'm happy to have.. refreshed your day. xD

_PaperCutVictim:_ Oh man, I'm just way too familiar with your Miku's "Ehehehe~" XD But thanks! I'm glad that you like the relationship I've made for Miku and Gumi. :D I had pancakes for breakfast this morning… Thus the pancake reference… only difference was that it was Friday when I had my pancakes. Not Tuesday.. xD;

Once more, I'd like to thank you all for reading my fanfiction. And thank you for your reviews! (: I enjoy reading each review I receive, and they tend to brighten my day! So, really, thank you for all of your support!

See you next time!


	6. Magnet

**Chapter 6 -** **Magnet**  
>Hello again! Glad to have you back for another chapter of "Slice of Life". (: Thank you for your continued support!<p>

Yeah, I realized that I do update this story pretty quickly. xD; Once I have an idea, I have to write it down… So I usually start writing it in my iPhone and then just send it to my e-mail to continue later. And these bursts of inspiration tend to happen in large chunks at random times throughout my day.

But anyway! I give you, chapter 6! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I only wish that I owned at least one of these Vocaloids. But I don't. So I'll settle for owning this story.

* * *

><p>8 AM.<p>

She was curled up in bed, not wanting to escape the warmth that her blankets provided. A few strands of her pink bands were pushed out of her way and she stared at the slowly spinning ceiling fan. Although it was early fall and the nights were gradually becoming cooler, she still slept with the fan; not because it would keep her room at a comfortable temperature, but because hearing the soft whirr of the fan at night helped to relax her. And she definitely needed something to help calm her down at night. Lately, her nights were filled with thoughts of a certain teal house mate, and the teasing jibes of a long haired blonde.

The girls cheeks became warm from just thinking about the amount of teasing comments her best friend had spat out over the course of three days. Ever since her accidental run in with Miku a few days ago, Lily had brought about a storm of merciless jokes. Admittedly, it amazed Luka that her best friend was able to find a way to bring every conversation back to the topic of Miku. A normal Miku related comment would include either an underhand reference to the teal girl's chapstick, or to the face-to-chest incident. And the blonde would only cease her biting comments when, and only when, Luka would apply crushing force to her wrist.

With a sigh, she closed her blue eyes and hugged her body pillow tight. It was times like these that made her ache for the comfort that only her antagonizer would be able to provide. Luka frowned to herself, and buried her face into the body pillow. She mentally cursed Masuda Lily for making her a tamed kitten, needing to find her master's hand for comfort.

Her thought shifted from a blonde girl to a teal one. What should she do about Miku? Another sigh escaped her as she ran A hand through her hair once more. Whenever her mind wandered, it would eventually settle on pondering about the tealette at one point or another. And this troubled Luka. She had no idea what to think of the teal haired girl. She didn't dislike her younger friend. But that's not to say that she returned Miku's feelings. Luka was in neutral territory. Simply put, she was utterly confused on her feelings for the teal haired girl. The only thing that Luka knew for sure, the only fact that now existed, was that she had not completely halted Miku from making any advances on her. And this tiny fact was easily the most troubling thought that raced around the pinkette's mind. When Gakupo had attempted to make her his, Luka was quick to put him in his place and clarify that they would only ever be friends.

"So why haven't I done the same to Miku-chan?" she mumbled into her pillow.

Her blue eyes opened as her thoughts were interrupted by a knock coming from the door. A quick glance at the clock told her that she had been lost in her thoughts for half an hour.

Luka released the body pillow from her tight embrace and sat up. Quickly, she ran her fingers through her hair to shoo away as much of her bed hair as she could. Her eyes then focused on the bedroom door.

"Come in," Luka called out.

The door slowly opened to reveal the three youngest residents of the mansion. The trio were still in their pajamas.

The eldest had lazily put her hair into a loose ponytail, probably to keep the messy hair out of her way. Each of her hands were gripped by a drowsy looking twin. Her red eyes gave Luka an apologetic look. "Ohayou gozaimasu, Luka-nee," Miki greeted her pink haired onee-chan.

The two blonde haired twins simultaneously rubbed their eyes with their free hands. "Good morning, Luka-nee-chan," they chorused, as they both stifled their yawns.

"Ohayou," Luka smiled at them. It wasn't surprising for her to see the twins clinging to Miki.

When the cherry haired girl moved into the mansion, the young twins took an instant liking to her. Since then, the blonde pair treated Miki as if she were their biological sister. They would even creep into her room at night if /both/ of them had nightmares; and Miki was more than happy to accommodate them on her king sized bed.

Miki cleared her throat. "Ano... Luka-nee? We were wondering if you would like to eat breakfast with us," she explained. Both of the blonde heads beside her nodded.

The pink haired girl's smile only widened. "I would love to," she answered, as she got out of bed. Luka quickly, and tidily, made her bed before crossing the room to join the waiting trio. Miki then led the twins back down the hallway, towards the grandiose staircase.

Luka walked beside Len, already beginning to lose herself in her thoughts. Her silence went unnoticed by the young idols. The tired Kagamines remained quiet due to the fog of drowsiness that still covered their mind; and Miki was concentrating on leading her "younger siblings" to the kitchen's breakfast nook without letting any accidental harm befall them.

* * *

><p>"Ah, good morning everyone!" a clear soprano voice sang out.<p>

The quartet's silence was broken when the breakfast nook came into their view. The four pair of eyes zeroed in on Hatsune Miku, who was seated at the breakfast table with a slice of toast in one hand. The teal haired girl smiled brightly at them before taking a bite out from her toast.

Luka felt her chest tighten and she inhaled sharply. Her heartbeat quickened, and she tore her gaze away from the tealette. Beside her, the younger Vocaloids returned Miku's greeting with "Good mornings" of their own.

With a wave of one of her teal-polished hands, Miku gestured at the food set out on the table. Bacon, toast, eggs cooked in a variety of styles, and bowls of fruits. A western breakfast.

"Kaito-nii was already up when I came down," Miku explained. "He made breakfast before he went out to the studio to work on a new song. I think he mentioned that he would be home late… Something about talking to the producers about his Append work. I'll be heading to the studio soon, too. They want me to work on a new single."

The amiable teal girl spoke to the group as a whole, but her eyes were focused only on the pink haired girl. Luka felt her chest tighten, and her heartbeat quicken. For reasons beyond beyond her comprehension, her cheeks flushed. "_What's wrong with me?"_Luka thought, as she helplessly stared back at Miku. Just like their time together in the café, those teal eyes commanded all of Luka's attention. It was as if Miku knew she could gain Luka's attention just by giving her a smile and making eye contact. It took all of the pinkette's willpower to turn her blue eyes away from the teal haired girl before.

Her actions went unnoticed by the elder Kagamine and Miki. Miku, of course, had noticed. Instead of calling Luka out, Miku opted to chat with Miki about her night comforting the twins.

Kagamine Len had noticed his pink haired senpai stiffen when Miku spoke to them. His deep blue eyes looked up at Luka, which reflected his concern and slight confusion for the older girl. "Luka-nee-chan," he said drowsily, as he tugged on the side of her shirt.

"Yes?" Luka glanced at Len, surprised to find that he was staring at her. She noticed that although he was still tired, his expression was concerned. At least this would be a good distraction from Miku's hypnotizing teal eyes. "Is something-"

"Do you not like being around Miku-nee?" Len interrupted, speaking softly to the pinkette. "Cause your face is all pink... And you didn't say good morning to her..."

_"Kids these days are just too perceptive,"_Luka thought. Before she spoke, she made sure her words were carefully selected. "It's not that I don't like being around Miku-chan. Things are just... Complicated."

The boy's blue eyes cast a sidelong glance at Miku before refocusing on Luka. "I think Miku-nee would be good for you," he mumbled drowsily.

At this, Luka's brows raised. She wanted to protest, but she couldn't bring herself to utter a word.

Len took her silence as a sign to continue. "'Cause she's so carefree... And sometimes you can be too serious," He yawned and rubbed his eyes with his free hand once more. "You two would be good match. Maybe if you give things a try-…" His speech was dragged out due to his obvious fatigue, and his sentence cut short by an involuntary yawn.

"Mm?" Miki stopped chatting with the teal haired girl and focused on the sudden weight that was pressing against her arm. Kagamine Len had shut his eyes after his yawn, and took it upon himself to use Miki as a pillow. "Ah, Len-kun seems to have fallen back asleep-... Oh geez."

It would seem that the Kagamine twins truly did everything together. For while Miki was speaking, Rin had closed her eyes and leaned against Miki's other arm.

"I'm sorry," Miki apologized softly, so as not to wake up the youngest Vocaloids. "I'll just bring them up to my room so they can get some more sleep. It should only take a moment." She bowed her head as she excused herself from the room. Gently, she shook the arms of the exhausted twins, and began to lead the drowsy pair back upstairs.

Which left Luka and Miku alone in the kitchen.

* * *

><p>Once the trio was upstairs, the Kagamine Rin instantly perked up. Her eyes shot open, void of any of the weariness that she had displayed so beautifully downstairs. "Ah, Miki-nee-chan!" She grinned up at the cherry haired girl. "That was perfect!"<p>

Her twin rubbed his eyes. Unlike his sister, he was actually tired because of last night's events. Yes, Luka had guessed correctly when she thought that the twins moved into Miki's room last night. But they were not there for Miki's comforting hugs and words of reassurance. The trio had gathered together in order to find a way to bring Luka and Miku closer, under the orders of a green haired captain. "Look, I doubt Miku-chan can pull this off by herself. So I want you three to figure out a way to get Luka-nee alone with Miku-chan tomorrow morning," Gumi had said, as she ushered the protesting Kagamines into Miki's room. "But you can't be obvious about it, either, or you'll scare Luka-nee. And this way, Miku-chan'll still think she's in control of everything. Got it? You guys better not let me down.. And wake me up if anything happens. That's an order."

Miki, Rin and Len exchanged excited looks after Gumi left them alone in Miki's room. After careful planning, they had fallen asleep on Miki's large bed at around midnight. It was embarrassing to admit, but Len was accustomed to going to bed at 10:30. Lacking that hour and 30 minutes of sleep made him very tired, much to Rin's delight. "Len-kun won't have to act tired in front of Miku-nee-chan and Luka-nee-chan then!" She had squealed earlier that morning.

Either way, Len was still really tired.

Miki looked down at Rin, and smiled back. "Yeah, the two of you did an excellent job," she agreed, as she gave the twin's hands a squeeze. The elder girl led the twins past her bedroom, and stopped in front of a white door with an orange and green sign mounted onto it. Miki released the hands of the twins in order to knock on the door a few times. "Gumi-nee!"

Some shuffling could be heard from behind the door before it swung open to reveal a disheveled Gumi. The girl ran her fingers through her mop of green hair before she shoved her hands into the pockets of her over-sized orange pull-over hoodie. "What?" came her curt reply. It was too early in the morning to talk to people. Was everyone trying to wake her up at obscenely early this week?

"Ano, we got Luka-nee to be alone with Miku-nee. The mission was a success," Miki spoke up, suppressing a giggle. Even though Gumi had combed her fingers through her hair, it had done little to tame the mess of stray green strands.

Gumi looked at the cherry haired girl blankly. She stared at her in silence.

Miki blinked a few times, trying to keep her nerves under control. "Is something wrong, Gumi-nee?"

"You woke me up to tell me that?" Flat tone. Unamused.

"Ah, well, you did tell us to wake you up if something happened," Miki replied slowly.

"So what exactly happened?" Still unamused.

"They're eating breakfast together!" Rin chimed in, much to Miki's relief. "At least, I think they are…" She paused and tilted her head slightly to the right. "Mmm, yeah! They should be eating right about now."

"Lovely…" Gumi was still apathetic. Maybe if the trio woke her up some time after 10, she would be in a better mood. "Can I go back to sleep now?"

"Wait!" The only boy in the group had finally spoken.

All three girls looked at him.

The green haired girl sighed, and leaned against the door frame for support. "What is it now?"

"Are you wearing shorts under that?"

Miki's eyes widened, and she let out a gasp. "Len-kun! You can't ask-!"

Rin began to laugh uncontrollably. "Oh—hehehe—My—hehehe-! Leeeeeeeeen!"

Gumi, on the other hand, blushed. Removing one hand from the kangaroo pouch of her orange hoodie, she tugged the hood up over her head.

The blonde boy looked confused. "Huh? What's so funny? I was just asking because I couldn't tell," He explained, a pout on his childish face. "Gumi-nee-chan's hoodie covers the area where her shorts should be.. So I just thought I'd ask— DWAH!"

An open palm had made contact with his cheek, and sent him flying towards the floor of the hallway. His attacker shoved her hand back into her hoodie pocket, her cheeks scarlet. A mumble came from her lips before she slammed the door shut.

The two standing girls looked at one another.

"I think she just said she wasn't wearing any shorts," Miki whispered to the younger girl.

Rin simply shrugged. She squatted down next to her younger twin before she playfully hit him on the head. "Boys really are dumb, ne, Miki-nee-chan?"

* * *

><p>A wave of déjà vu hit Luka as she hesitantly sat down opposite of Miku. She was careful to avoid making eye contact with the younger girl as she loaded her plate with a slice of toast, a couple strips of bacon, and a small serving of scrambled eggs. Those teal eyes were just so mesmerizing, and Luka couldn't understand why they amazed her so.<p>

Miku watched her senpai in silence. Rather than speak up and try to break the silence, the tealette nibbled on the edge of her toast. If she were to stick to her plan, she would have to let Luka feel as comfortable as possible. And right now, things were not comfortable at all. The awkward atmosphere was nearly tangible at this point, and if it became any worse, Miku would probably end up slamming her head against the table because of how maddening it was.

"About what happened back then…" Luka said quietly with her blue eyes fixed down on her plate. She had finally realized why those teal eyes always caught her attention.

The tealette's brows raised in surprise as she looked at her senpai. She wasn't expecting Luka to be the first to break the silence. In all honesty, Miku was expecting at least another minute of awkward tension.

"Oh, that," Miku laughed. "I'm really sorry. That entire thing was my fault. I should have been paying attention to where I was going." She set the last bit of her toast down on her plate. Her other hand sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck. "I swear, I wasn't trying to walk into you or anything. I was just thinking about a lot of stuff- Huh?"

Luka held a hand up, halting the other girl's explanation. "Not that," she frowned a little. "Back on our… Date. Why did you kiss me?" It took her all week to realize that her nights were restless because of those teal eyes and the kiss that followed the intense gaze when the two were out on their date. Those teal eyes, the kiss… The combination of the two had sent her mind spinning, and had kept it spinning for the past week.

The owner of those teal eyes gave Luka one of her signature smiles. "Because you had cream on your face," Miku answered as if this should have been obvious by now.

"A napkin would have sufficed. Or you could have told me that it was there," Luka pointed out, not satisfied with the other girl's answer. All week Luka had made it a point to avoid being alone with Miku. Now that she had the nerve to finally speak to the teal-haired girl, she was going to get an answer. "Miku-chan, please just tell me the truth. Why did you do it?"

Silence filled the kitchen while Luka waited for Miku's answer. The pink haired girl's frown faded a little as she realized that she may have been out of line to demand that Miku give her a proper answer right this second.

"Ah, well… I like you, so…" Miku began, as she fumbled around for the right words to explain how she felt that afternoon in the café. With one arm propped up on the table, the younger girl rested her head in the palm of her hand. Her teal eyes looked away from Luka's blue ones, and focused on a spot on the ceiling. "It wasn't really something that I planned. It was an impulse," she tried to explain.

"_An impulse? Don't tell me Miku-chan has ADHD or something…"_ Luka thought, as she watched Miku ponder.

The teal eyes looked back at Luka, and the corners of her eyes crinkled as a smile formed back onto her face. "I couldn't help it. You were just so cute that day—Not that you aren't cute every day, Luka-senpai. Trust me, you're always cute," Miku amended. "You're right, though, I could have used a napkin and wiped the cream off of your face."

"Then why didn't you?"

"Because I was drawn to you," Miku answered, catching _both_ of them off guard. The tealette couldn't believe that she had admitted to that. She hadn't even fully explained what had happened to Gumi. Gumi had only heard the basic story. Cream on the face, kissed it off, then a kiss on the lips. But now, here she was, explaining her actions as best as she could to the receiver of the kiss. "It sounds a little dumb, but let's think of it this way. It was like you were one end of a magnet, let's say that you're North! And I'm the South end of the magnet. Those two sides are attracted to each other, so—"

"So being in that café, in that… Situation… Led to the two magnets coming together," Luka finished, a little surprised that she could follow the other girl's thoughts so well.

The older girl's brows furrowed together. Why did that analogy sound so familiar?

Miku nodded happily. "Bingo! It's like that song we sang together, remember? Back when you first moved in?" Her voice had jumped an octave from excitement.

The pinkette nodded slowly, and her eyes closed as she thought about the song. That's right, they had sung a song together when she first moved in. "_That's why that magnet thing sounded so familiar.." _she thought to herself. The words to their duet were forever engraved into her mind. It was overwhelmingly popular immediately after its release. Even now, Luka was still asked to sing a line or two from the song when she went out in public.

"_I am drawn to you like a magnet;_

_Even if I left, we would find each other again," _Miku sang in her sweet soprano. She stood up, and waved one hand in front of Luka's face to ensure that the other girl had her eyes closed.

No signs of protest from the pinkette.

Unaware of Miku's action, Luka opened her mouth to join in song. "_I've touched you, I can never go back and that's just fine-!"_

The last few words of the line were nearly cut off by the pair of lips that were suddenly pressed against hers. Startled, Luka opened one eye and caught a glimpse of the smaller girl smiling into the kiss. And, to Luka's surprise, she tasted a hint of the familiar strawberry chapstick.

Miku slowly pulled away from Luka, but her face remained close. _"You are everything in the world to me,"_ she sang softly, before she stood up straight. Although the smile on Miku's face was no different from the smiles that normally adorned her face, Luka could have sworn that she saw a hint of possessiveness in the smile.

"Th-th-that—You—I-!"

"Ne, Luka-senpai, I have to go now. I need to head off to the studio now!" The tealette sang, as she gave her senpai a respectful bow. She turned her back to Luka, and began to head for the exit.

"M-Miku-chan!" Luka's heart was racing, and her cheeks were flushed. It was hard for her to focus on a single thought, or even figure out what she was _feeling _at the moment… But she just needed to ask one more question…

The younger girl paused. She looked over her shoulder at the flustered girl. "Yes?"

"Wh-why did you…?"

A giggle came from Hatsune Miku. "Why? Because you will be mine." The girl winked at Luka, and then exited the kitchen.

Talk about deja vu...

Once the footsteps disappeared down the hall and out of the building, Megurine Luka slid her plate of untouched food away from her. She took a deep breath, and slumped down on the table. Her pink bangs covered part of her face as she sat there, lost in thought. "Another stolen kiss," she murmured to herself, as she shut her eyes.

If this kept up, Hatsune Miku would have no problems stealing her heart.

And this thought only made Luka's heart beat quicken. No, she wouldn't allow Miku to win her over so easily. It seemed like she would have to reenforce the walls that she had built around her heart...

* * *

><p>The tealette slid into the back seat of the limousine, and flipped her phone open. Her fingers quickly danced across the keypad as she typed out a text message to her best friend.<p>

Miku read over the text message. "_Guess who stole another kiss? (^o^)"_ A wide grin was on her face as she hit send. Now that that was taken care of, the girl laid across the seats, her teal eyes shining with excitement.

She could practically hear the erratic pounding of her heart. It didn't bother her, though. The rush of energy that flooded her body after leaving the mansion had her mind buzzing. For the most part, her thoughts jumped between Luka, and Miku's plan. And jump they did.

"_Luka-senpai had incredibly soft lips, even if she just woke up_—_"_

"_Step one: Stay on Luka-senpai's good side. That's not a problem at all_—_"_

"_God, those eyes of hers are just so beautiful. Such a pretty shade of blue_—_"_

"_Oh. Step two: Lower her inhibitions. Not as hard as Gumi and I thought… She just needs to be relaxed and it's easy to keep her guard down from there_—_"_

"_Pretty, pretty, blue eyes_—_"_

"_Step three: Ask her out_—_"_

At this rate, it seemed like Miku's plan was working out quite smoothly. And Gumi had laughed at such a simple plan…

_Bzz. Bzz._

The vibrations of her cellphone caught her attention. Eagerly anticipating Gumi's reply, Miku flipped the phone open.

"_FUCK YOU, BAKA LIEUTENANT!_

_I just fell back asleep. Fuck. You. I hate you for waking me up._

_But congratz. (-_-)b_

_Tell me 'bout it later. –Captain"_

Miku giggled. Only Gumi would respond that way. Only Gumi.

* * *

><p><strong>Note: <strong>Ah, this is definitely my longest chapter so far. X_x I can't believe I was able to write so much.. haha.

Thank you for making it to the end of this crackpot story!

Yay for more Luka and Miku interaction!

_To the reviewers:_

_Jak656:_ Ah! Did you like the song, Matryoshka! And thanks! Lily… Is going to become incredibly more important in one of my future chapters. xD; But thank you for your encouragement!

_Lovecakes98: _It's a good thing I'm A- then! :P And chuckling is good. I'll take that as a compliment anyday!

_IdrewAcow:_ I promise, I don't have all of the chapters already typed up. Hahah. Once I get an idea in my mind, I have to write it somewhere. I usually end up making notes for a chapter throughout a day, and then write it all in one sitting at night. xD; But thank you!

_PaperCutVictim:_ I LOVE "Just Be Friends". It's my favorite Vocaloid song by far, with Magnet and Matryoshka as close seconds. ^^ I'm glad that you enjoy my portrayal of the different Vocaloids! Thanks for your support! :D (Can't wait to see an update on your story, btw. Ice Princess ftw!)

_Thyrokio:_ LOL! I was hoping to get that kind of response from my readers! xD SUCCESS!

_Meislovely_: (^^)b Arigatou gozaimasu! (Btw, the two of you always get me to crack a smile!)

_Justa person: _hahahaha! Bionic person! Nah, I just have too much time on my hands… And I get easily distracted from my homework. Whoooooops! But yes. Miku has seen Lily as an enemy before! xD Thanks for your support!

_Major Mike Powell III:_ XD Oh man. Hahahah I didn't realize that my story could be so entertaining. Glad to see that it made you laugh!

_LukaFan:_ Thanks! Yes, Miku knows how to use her brain for productive things. But only when she's really determined to do something. :P At least, that's how I see her in my world. Thanks again for your support!

.

And thank you, once again, to everyone that has read my story so far! You guys are great. Thanks for all of the reviews!

And if anyone ever has anything to say about the story, or just something you wanted to let me know, leave me a review, or shoot me a PM. I like to talk to people. (^^)b

See you guys in the next chapter!


	7. Chloe

**Chapter 7 – Chloe**

Hey! I'm back with another chapter. I hope I can continue to entertain all of you with my story!

Right now, I'm taking a break from studying for my classes. And what better way to relax than to write up another chapter, and jot down ideas for future use? :P

And for reference, the title of this chapter comes from a song by Lily. It's called "Chloe". You should listen to it. :D Go on youtube, and search "Chloe english lyrics". (^^)b

Anyway, enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I still don't own any Vocaloids… Do I really have to say this for every chapter?

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><p>It was a warm, comfortable Saturday afternoon, exactly a week since the eHarmony incident occurred. Thankfully, the grounds of the Vocaloid Mansion were silent, save for the rustling of leaves on the trees and the chirps of birds. In a corner of the grounds, far away from any curious eyes that may be watching from the mansion was a patch of trees. It was here that a girl had put up a hammock, creating her own peaceful corner of the world. Whenever she felt that the pressures of life were no longer bearable, she would retreat to the hammock and spend hours there. Those long hours alone allowed her to relax without any of the interruptions that her housemates may pose. It was here that she could organize her thoughts when she felt troubled.<p>

And on this beautiful day, she was troubled. The girl was snuggled comfortably within the hammock, the wind gently rocking her to and fro. Normally, this would put her to sleep after laying in the hammock for a quarter of an hour, but today she was wide awake. Her discussion that she had had with her dear friend last night put her in a melancholic mood and had set her mind brimming with new thoughts. As she thought, the fingers of one hand drummed against her stomach. A habit of hers, it was something she did when she felt anxious or passed time by thinking. She just had trouble keeping still, so her fingers would tap out rhythms whenever she was still.

She shut her eyes, and exhaled softly. _"Last night… Just made things complicated…"_

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><p><em>Yesterday Evening<em>

The back door to the mansion swung shut behind her. When the cool night air whipped through her hair, she shivered a little and was glad that she had decided to change into a charcoal pullover hoodie and jeans before leaving the mansion.

Automatically, her feet led her to the familiar hammock. The grin on her face appeared as she sat onto it, her hands pulling the hood up and over her hair. She pushed her feet off the ground, allowing the hammock to begin to swing her just as it had a few days before.

Her stomach was content, filled with the well-prepared meal that one of her house mates had cooked up. If she continued to swing on the hammock, she was sure that she would fall asleep. As a way to counteract any sign of drowsiness that may appear, the girl looked up at the night sky.

She was glad that she had placed the hammock between these two trees. Although there were leaves on the tree branches, it was still easy to spot the twinkling stars that were spread out across the dark sky.

"There's the Big Dipper," she mumbled to herself, as she raised one hand in the air. With her pointer finger, she traced the outline of the constellation, her grin slipping into the frown that came from concentrating. "So that must mean that Orion's right there." Her finger halted as she pointed up at a patch of the sky.

"No, silly, that's not it," a voice laughed.

The girl on the hammock only smiled at the sound of the voice. Although this patch of the Vocaloid grounds was what she considered to be her territory, she would gladly allow this person into the area. "What? Where is it then?" she challenged the newcomer, as she planted her feet on the ground. She looked over at her unexpected guest, taking in the site of jeans, a white blouse, and a stripped white and gray knit sweater.

The hammock came to a halt, and the newcomer carefully sat down beside the girl.

With practiced ease, the two pushed off from the ground, letting the hammock swing once more.

"It's right there, Lily-chan," the newcomer said to the girl, pointing at a different area. "See?" With one finger, the outline for Orion was traced for Lily to see.

Lily laughed, and playfully shoved the other girl. "Yeah, whatever, Lu-chan. I didn't know you were into stuff like constellations anyway."

Luka smiled and shook her head. "I don't find them to be that interesting," she admitted. "But you've shown me it enough times that I could find it if I wanted to. I'm surprised that you didn't find it, though."

The blonde snorted at this. She brushed aside her bangs before she turned her head to look at her companion. "Yeah, yeah… What're you doing out here, anyway?" she asked. "You don't usually come following me after dinner unless there's something that's really bugging you."

"Ah, well… I wanted to talk to you. Something happened today," Luka answered, as she looked back at Lily sheepishly.

"Something happened?" Lily paused, and blinked a few times. "Look, you don't need to tell me every time you slip and hit your head in the shower, Luka-chan. I already told you, there's no ghost that's shoving you down when you're bathing. And besides, if there was a ghost that was haunting you, I doubt they'd want to push you over, seeing how they'd be distracted by your naked, wet bod—Ow, ow, ow! I give! Let go!"

Luka had gripped Lily's wrist in one hand. A death grip, which was currently attempting to snap the blonde's wrist in half. "It's nothing like that," the pinkette stated after releasing her friend's wrist.

A pout on her face, the blonde massaged her throbbing wrist. "Ne? Then what's up?"

"It's…" A pause from the other girl. "Miku-chan. This morning Miku-chan—"

"Lemme guess," the blonde interrupted with a teasing smile on her face. "You got another taste of her _strawberry chapstick_."

Her jibe was met with silence.

Lily stared at Luka. Even though it was dark outside, Lily was sure she could see pink on the other girl's cheeks.

"Seriously?"

Luka nodded once.

"Damn, that girl works fast!" Lily laughed, shutting her eyes as she did so. "So how'd it happen this time, hm? Were you guys eating breakfast? Don't tell me you ended up getting more food on your face. 'Cause if that's how Miku-chan got away with stealing another kiss, then you should just stop eating around her. Before you know it…" She paused and gave Luka a suggestive smirk. "You two'll add real strawberries and whipped cream to—Ah! Hey! DON'T DO THAT, JERK!"

Her arms flailed as the hammock jerked violently. Pale faced, Lily gripped the edge of the hammock and glared at Luka. The unamused, red faced, pinkette had hopped off of the hammock and began to make a beeline straight to the mansion.

"You jerk! Don't make the freakin' hammock shake like that! I could've fallen off and injured my beautiful face!" Lily shouted at Luka's back. "Learn to take a joke, why don'tcha!"

Luka ignored Lily, and continued to walk into the mansion. She folded her arms across her chest as she headed up the stairs. _"Baka. Baka, baka, baka, baka.."_ she thought irritably, as she strode into her room, letting the door slam shut behind her. The pink haired girl crossed her room and walked into her walk-in closet.

Of course, she was still worked up by Lily's teasings. _"What could possess her to say such… Such…"_ Luka tore off her sweater and flung it aside. _"Such perverse things!"_ This time her blouse was angrily thrown across the closet. _"Doesn't she realize that she sounds like a lecherous old man!"_ And now her jeans were gone.

An exasperated sigh escaped her as she grabbed her pajamas, a pair of black shorts and a light blue tank top. When Luka began to pull her top on, there came a knock on the door.

"Oi, Lu-chan! I'm coming in!"

"Ah- No, Lily. Wait-!"

"Sorry for messing with you back there- Whoa," Lily had opened the door. Before her was Luka, who had scrambled to pull her light blue tank top on. And failed to get it to cover her bra-clad chest.

The pinkette's face went scarlet as she stared at Lily, mortified.

"Wow, I didn't know you liked blue and white striped panties," Lily observed. Her heart began to pound, and she quickly brought a hand up to her nose to stifle any blood that may happen to trickle down. "But striped panties and a black lace bra? That could be a deadly- HIYAH!"

In a desperate attempt to shut Lily up, Luka had flung a pillow at her at neck breaking speed. To Luka's extreme horror, Lily had managed to karate chop the pillow before it made contact with her face.

"That won't work on me twice!" Lily shouted triumphantly. "Masuda Lily is a freaking ninja!"

Luka tugged her tank top down, and glared at the gloating blonde. She grabbed the novel that was sitting on her bedside table, the hardcover edition of the final Harry Potter novel, and threw it at Lily.

"Nothing will stop me from- D'WAH!"

The book slammed into Lily's forehead. The velocity of the projectile sent her flying back into the hallway. With a thud, she landed on the floor, the thick carpet softening her fall. A groan came from her as her body shuddered in pain.

With a huff of annoyance mixed with embarrassment, Luka went and slammed her door shut once more. This time, she made sure to lock it before she went back to put her pajama shorts on. She threw herself onto her bed, eyes shut tight. Still a little irritated, but now slightly calmer, she hugged her body pillow. The girl laid there like this for a minute or so, willing herself to calm down. It was all a joke, after all. She should know by now that her best friend lived to have a good time. It wasn't in Lily's nature to be so serious about everything. The blonde would always have to force herself to be serious when she had to be, and clearly, that was not the right moment for a serious conversation.

Nor would she be able to have a serious conversation after being walked in on like that. Luka realized that she should have been more careful. The door should have been locked if she knew she was going to get changed. And she should have known that Lily would natural follow after her to make it clear that she was only joking around when they were on the hammock.

Once she was relaxed, Luka took a deep, slow breath. She exhaled just as slowly, feeling a wave of calm take over her. "Perverted idiot," she mumbled, as she buried her face into the pillow.

An involuntary "eep!" escaped her as the bed shook from weight being added beside her.

"Who's a perverted idiot?" asked the very girl that Luka was mentally cursing only a few minutes ago.

Luka sighed and kept her face buried. "Lily-chan, please. I just calmed down. I'm not in the mood for any more of your jokes."

To her surprise, she felt Lily shift. Curiously, Luka turned her head away from her pillow, and yelped at how close the blonde's face was to her. Nose to nose. The pinkette had thought that Lily had only sat down on the bed, it would appear that Lily had taken it upon herself to get comfortable. And the shifting? Lily had maneuvered herself so they would be touching noses when Luka looked at her.

The pink haired girl immediately scooted away from Lily. "Wh-what're you doing!" she asked, her face flushed.

Lily's mouth twitched into a smile. "I was just checkin' to see if you were in a better mood," she answered with a laugh. "And if you're back to acting all shy like this, then yeah. I'd say you're not mad anymore."

Embarrassed, Luka only tightened her embrace on the body pillow. And once more, her face was buried into it.

"Anyway. What'd you want to say about Miku-chan kissing you?" Lily continued, ignoring the fact that her best friend was acting like a flustered little girl. Her smile widened when she noticed that one of Luka's blue eyes was peering at her from behind the body pillow.

"I just wanted to say that I don't know what to do about Miku-chan," Luka mumbled. "I tried avoiding her after that… Run-in in the hallway… But I don't think that will work forever. She's just too determined. She called us _magnets_."

Masuda Lily blinked a few times, and shrugged. "Magnets, huh?" she asked, not really understanding where this was going. "And that's supposed to be a compliment or somethin'?"

Luka shook her head, and sighed. "No, no. It was an analogy of sorts," she explained. There was a pause as the pink haired girl tried to think of a good way to explain everything. "Now that I think about it… Miku-chan basically said we were magnets—"

"You said that already."

"And that opposite ends of a magnet are attracted to each other," Luka continued.

"Opposites do attract, Luka-chan."

The pink haired girl felt a headache coming on. "Yes, I know..."

Opposites attract, hm? With that being said, Miku's analogy was quickly becoming more applicable to their situation. The teal and the pink girls were opposites in some aspects. Miku was pretty light-hearted, and had an easy time dismissing unnecessary details. She lived for the today, and had an innocent, almost child-like, feel to her. Luka herself was easily the more mature out of the two of them; and she tended to take things quite literally, which led to her cool, serious nature.

The pinkette unwrapped one arm from around the pillow so she could rub her temple.

Lily grinned and gave the body pillow a nudge. "What? Does that make you nervous?" she asked. "That you might really be attracted to Miku-chan like the north pole of a magnet is attracted to the south pole?"

There was a long pause before Luka spoke. "Yes," she whispered. "It does make me nervous. I don't know how I feel about Miku-chan at all."

Something felt wrong about that statement to Lily. The blonde felt something inside her clench at the thought of Luka possibly ending up with the tealette. Now that was new. Only a few days ago, Lily had been mercilessly teasing Luka about Miku. So why would she suddenly be bothered now? _"Whatever... Maybe Kaito's cooking is making me sick,"_ Lily thought dismissively.

"I mean, Miku-chan isn't a bad person or anything. I'm just… Confused. Too much is happening too quickly," Luka continued. "I'm having a hard time keeping up with all of this. Almost a week ago my first kiss was stolen from me, and now I have to deal with Miku-chan being more.. Forward. With everything."

The blonde listened to her friend in silence.

Luka took this as a sign to continue speaking. "I haven't dated anyone in a while—That's not to say that I will date Miku-chan," she added hastily. "But I wish she would give me some space. I don't know what to do when she's around. I don't know if I should tell her that I want to be left alone for a little while, or if I want to let her continue and see what happens next."

Lily spoke up. "Well, let's look at it in a black and white perspective. Black being the negatives about Miku-chan, and white being the positives," she instructed. "Maybe you'd be able to make more sense of things."

Luka removed her face from the depths of the pillow, and rested it on top of the pillow so she could look at Lily more clearly. "Black and white..?" she repeated.

Her blonde friend nodded back. In the back of her mind, Lily hoped there would be more cons than pros. Lily may think that Miku was a good kid, but Miku certainly wasn't the perfect fit for Luka_... "Hold it, Lily,"_ she mentally scolded herself. _"Who Lu-chan falls for isn't up to you.."_

The blonde was jolted out of her thoughts when Luka began to speak.

"Hm... Miku-chan smiles a lot and it's quite cute. She's free-spirited, and doesn't seem to let much bring her down," Luka said, her blue eyes looking up at the ceiling. "And she she's kind. She helps out when you ask her to.. She can sing and dance—"

"Thank you for pointing out that last bit. I had no idea Miku-chan knew how to sing."

"But, really, she is pretty…"

"Oh ho ho! You think she's pretty?" Lily teased, as she grinned at her friend. "Now that's new. Before you just called her cute and such—"

"Lily-chan, please—"

"But pretty? That implies that you've got some interest in her, right?" Lily pressed, as she rolled onto her stomach and propped herself up on her elbows. The teasing smile may have been on her face, but inside, Lily felt conflicted. "So does this mean you _like like_ her?"

Luka rolled her eyes, and her cheeks involuntary flushed. "'Like like'? I haven't heard that since we were in middle school," she scoffed. "But, if I have to answer that…" Her voice faded out.

Lily held her breath as she waited for an answer.

"Yes, I suppose I'm a _little_ interested," Luka whispered. "A _little._ Emphasis on the little part."

"Really?"

"Really. But I won't let her win me over that easily," Luka said, with a definitive nod. "I refuse…"

At this, Lily raised a brow. "Mm? Why not?"

Luka avoided making eye contact with her friend. She could feel her cheeks warm up even more. "Because I'm scared that I'll get hurt in the end," she mumbled, as she buried her face into her pillow once more. "What if she doesn't actually like me, and is just infatuated with the idea of being with me? I don't want to get hurt and get left behind. "

Her best friend's answer surprised Lily. But maybe she shouldn't be so surprised. It was Luka that she was talking to.

"Aw, c'mon, Lu-chan," the blonde sighed, as she reached out to pet the pinkette's head. "You shouldn't worry about stuff like that. You're never gonna find your other half if you just say that you're afraid to get into a relationship."

The pink kitten tilted her head towards the reassuring palm. Her eyes shut and she let out a small sigh. "I don't know… "

Lily continued to pet her kitten. "Just calm down, okay? Give it a chance, you never know.." She grinned, and winked at Luka. "The right person might just be here all along. So be open about it all."

Luka smiled a little bit, and nodded.

Suddenly, the bed shifted as Lily stood up. "Yup.. Well, I'm gonna head back to my room now, since it looks like you're about to fall asleep—Wha?"

Her hand was locked in place by Luka's tight grasp. The pink haired girl's eyes had shot open, and she looked up at Lily with wide, blue eyes. "D-don't go…" She yawned. "Just stay with me until I fall asleep…"

The blonde felt her heart beat quicken just a little bit at the thought of staying in Luka's room. "Geez, you really do get lonely easily, huh, Lu-chan?" She teased. "Just like a little kitten."

"Sh-shut up, don't call me that! Just stay with me…"

A chuckle came from the blonde as she obediently sat down on the bed. "Whatever you say.." She went back to petting the pink haired girls head.

The two stayed like this, enjoying one another's company in silence. It wasn't until a few minutes later that Lily realized her friend had fallen fast asleep. It was then that Lily realized that she had never seen Luka's sleeping face. Even though they had slept over together countless times, the blonde had always been the first to fall asleep, and the last to wake up.

Curious, Lily peeked down at the pink haired girl. She inhaled sharply when she took in the sight.

Luka was just too adorable. The pink haired girl's bangs messily strewn across her face; her mouth parted slightly as she took in slow, deep breath. Lily couldn't remember the last time the pinkette looked so at ease.

And the sight melted her heart.

"_Ah, geez,"_ Lily thought, flustered when she realized that she was _blushing_. "_I need to get out of here."_ She shifted as gently as she could, trying to maneuver herself off of the bed without disturbing the other girl.

But Luka's hand shot out and gently grabbed onto Lily's. "Mm… Stay.." she murmured, as she put her face to the blonde's hand.

The blonde gulped, and sat still. With her free hand, she rubbed the back of her head as she tried to figure out what to do. Leave her attractive friend alone, or go back to her room and act like nothing between them had changed?

Against her better judgment, Lily laid down on the bed. Her sleeping friend instantly curled up to this new source of warmth and let out another soft sigh. Luka's hands gripped onto Lily's hoodie, subconsciously making sure that the warmth would not escape. Yes, Megurine Luka was a cuddler, thus explaining why she clung to her body pillow in her sleep. The blonde girl stiffened at her sleeping friend's actions, and Lily was sure that her face was scarlet by now. This blush was only worsened by Luka burying her nose into the red faced girl's shoulder.

"You damn kitten… You're just begging to make things worse for yourself," Lily mumbled. She shifted a little, making herself comfortable while her eyes slowly began to shut from drowsiness. "How am I s'posed to let Miku-chan get you if you're slowly worming your way into my heart?"

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><p><em>Present Day<em>

"…chan…"

Lily whined, and shifted a little bit on the hammock.

"Lily-chan… Dinner's ready," a voice called out, slowly pulling the sleeping girl from her dream.

An impatient sigh came from her the person who was futilely trying to wake her, followed by a rough shake of Lily's shoulder. "Lily-chan, please. You're going to miss dinner if you don't get up."

With another whine, Lily pushed the hand off her shoulder before she sat up. "Oi, Lu-chan, quit it—Oh.." Once she had opened her eyes, she was surprised to see how unexpectedly close Luka's blue ones were to hers. The two were nose to nose just like last night. And just like that, Lily's heartbeats quickened and her stomach began to do flips. This was bad.

"_Shit, shit, shit…" _Lily's mind raced, as she slowly felt her cheeks become warm. And to her surprise, even Luka's cheeks became tinted with a _very_ faint shade of pink.

The pink haired girl stood up straight, and gave her friend an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry to have woken you, but I didn't want you to miss dinner. I came looking for you when everyone realized you weren't at the table," she explained. "If you aren't hungry, I'll just go ahead and set aside some food for you for later."

Lily nodded slowly, and watched her best friend walk away. She pushed the hood off from her head, and ran her one hand through her hair as she sighed. Carefully, she stepped off from the hammock and slowly made her way back towards the mansion. "_I think I'm just going to have to distance myself from Lu-chan, or else she'll just freak out even more than now," _she thought numbly, looking a little disheartened by this realization. "_I'm just going to fuck things up for Miku-chan, too, if I stay this close to Lu-chan."_

As she walked, she began to sadly hum a song. One of her songs. It amazed her that she could even _think_ of this song while the memory of those blue eyes and pink hair, which were only centimeters away from her a minute ago, raced around her mind.

_My thoughts keep repeating_

_This love is only for you_

_I still continue to struggle obsessively_

_Sad, unrequited wishes…_

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><p><strong>Note: <strong>And we've reached the end of chapter seven. It's a little shorter than I had hoped it would be, but I felt like I was starting to drag out the chapter. For that, I give you my most sincere apologies.

But yes, a lot of this chapter was more dialogue between them. Lily is a more vocal character, and that's how she expresses her thoughts best. xD; Through words.

I've been really eager to write this chapter. The idea of creating a love triangle had been floating in my mind for quite some time now, and I had to find a good time to put it onto (digital) paper.

I'd also like to apologize for the lack of Miku and Gumi in this chapter. I'll be sure to fix that in the upcoming chapters!

_To the Reviewers:_

_Jak656_: (^o^)b Thank you!

_Justa person:_ haahah! Trust me, I won't be a bionic person for the next day or so. x_x I just found out I have more quizzes to study for… But yesss, Miku's becoming quite a smooth worker with all of these stolen kisses!

_PaperCutVictim:_ Bahaha! I just imagined Miku dressed as a ninja, silently waiting for you to let your guard down.. Oh boy, it's best not to interfere with her plans! And thanks! I'm glad you like my Gumi. XD I must admit, I'm quite fond of her, too. (Yaaaaay! I'm excited to read your next chapter! :D )

_Magnet: _Every good LukaxMiku story should have some sort of "magnet" reference. ;) But I agree with you, those are two excellent duets by the two of them!

_Lovecakes98: _Aaahh! My cousin broke her iPhone recently. xD She accidentally kicked it off the couch, and BAM….. But thanks! I'm glad that I was able to finally answer your question about Miku's actions. (^^)b And yes, I sort of pictured Len, Rin, and Miki that way, too! LOL. Long review is long, but HIGHLY appreciated. :D thank you!

_LukaFan:_ Oh yeah, Miku's definitely a smooth worker. She's gonna be a pro by the end of this series.. haha. Yes. Cheshire Luka is extremely cute. (: And thank you for your review and support!

_IdrewAcow:_ Luka is a very fragile person. So yes, she'll have to do something if she doesn't want to be swept away so quickly! Thank you!

_Thyrokio: _Luka IS a kitten! So I think it's really fitting that she plays the role of the Cheshire Cat for the song "Alice in Musicland". :D And yeah, I was hoping someone would think Len sounded like a dirty old man! Hahaha Thank you!

_Major Mike Powell III:_ YES! I made you LOL. AGAIN. I love reading your reviews. They're always entertaining. Hahaha. Thank you, thank you. I'll do my best to update ASAP.

_Meislovely: _xDDD Oh man, you two are insane! In a good way, of course. Hahaha thanks, guys!

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And once again, thank you everyone for your continued support. Just knowing that you guys STILL find this story to be entertaining is a good feeling.

I really appreciate all of your reviews! If you have any pointers, lemme know!

Thanks again, everyone. See you in the next chapter!


	8. Love is War

**Slice of Life**

**Chapter 8 – Love is War**

Hey guys! Thanks for continuing to read my story. You guys are the best.

I'm curious… What time zone is everyone in? I swear, I posted chapter 7 at around 12:15 AM, and went to bed at 1 AM. I woke up at 5 AM, and saw all of these reviews. xD All of you are so quick to review, and it makes me really happy to see them first thing in the morning! (I'm in EST, if you're in the United States, btw).

Anyway, let's start chapter 8!

**Disclaimer: **… Still don't own any Vocaloids.

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><p>The two girls had sour expressions on their faces as they remained silent in the large bathroom. They had both woken up early; the elder realized that she needed to make herself presentable before meeting with her producers at the studio, and the younger because she was violently shaken from her deep sleep by the older girl.<p>

"Sit still, you purple haired buffoon."

A grunt came from the "buffoon", followed by some annoyed mumbling.

"What was that, Meiko-nee? I didn't catch that," the younger girl said sarcastically. "You might want to speak up."

"Look, you little bitch. Just finish putting the hair dye in my hair so I can go to the studio this afternoon without looking like an idiot," Meiko retorted, as she tried to sit as still as she could on the stool. She glared at the bathroom mirror before her, hoping that Gumi would notice the sour expression on her face. The once brunette girl would have apologized for her poor manners, but she was nursing a hangover. There was no way she would be in a good mood… At least not for another hour or so.

Gumi kept the passive look on her face. "You shouldn't call me a bitch when I'm doing you a favor," she said pointedly, as she continued to apply the brown dye to Meiko's purple locks. "I might be tempted to dye your hair the wrong color."

Meiko's glare faltered. "You wouldn't dare—"

"Trust me, I would," the green haired girl interrupted, the corners of her mouth twitching into a smirk. "You already woke me up at 7 AM on a _Wednesday_, and that's early, especially for you. And I hate getting up early… So, piss me off while I'm working on your hair and see what happens."

The older girl's shoulders slumped as she sighed in defeat. If it weren't for those twins, she wouldn't be stuck in this position. Taking orders from _Gumi?_ She was older than Gumi! If anything, she should be the one ordering the younger girl, not the other way around. Agitated, her red polished fingers gripped the edge of the stool as she fought to keep her temper in check.

"_Damn those twins,"_ Meiko thought bitterly, her knuckles going white as she tightened her hold on the stool. _"They better watch out. If I catch them the next time they try to pull one over on me, I'm gonna take their road roller and personally run them over—_"

"Hey, Meiko-nee," Gumi interrupted her thoughts.

"What?"

"Are you mad at the twins? 'Cause of your hair?"

The purple haired girl rolled her eyes. "Of course!" she scoffed as she folded her arms across her chest. "Those brats messed my hair up! Seriously, what's wrong with them?"

Gumi twitched. _"Oh boy.. Here she goes… I shouldn't have asked."_ How she hated listening to Meiko rant. It was worse when the older girl was intoxicated. Meiko would sound like a blabbering idiot when she was drunk.

"I thought Miki-chan would be able to reign them in once I saw how attached they were to her," Meiko continued, her lips pursed into a scowl. "If they're going to look up to her as a real sister, she should do something about them. If this keeps up, Miki-chan'll be a horrible sister to them—HEY!" She whirled around in the stool, and grabbed Gumi by the collar of her orange vest. "What. The. _Hell?"_

The green haired girl had slapped some of the hair dye across Meiko's left cheek. She narrowed her green eyes at the older girl, the retaliation glimmering in her eyes. "Don't you dare say bad things about Miki-chan," she said coolly. "I could care less what you have to say about the twins, but if you ever speak badly about Miki-chan again.."

"What're you going to do?" Meiko scoffed, unafraid of the girl in her grip.

At this, Gumi gave her Onee-chan a smirk. "Well, let's just say it'd be a shame if anything else happened to your hair," she drawled, with a snicker. "Who knows? One day it might disappear."

Green eyes met garnet in a steely stare down. Both refused to look away, determined to show the other that they were unafraid.

"You wouldn't dare to do something like that," Meiko snarled, as she narrowed her garnet eyes. Her knuckles were turning white from gripping the other's orange vest so tightly.

The younger girl shrugged, and continued to give Meiko her cool smirk. "Don't test me, Meiko-nee," she replied. There was no sign of forgiveness in those emerald eyes. "I just might find a way to make your life a living hell. You'd have more to worry about than just your hair."

The two continued to glare at one another. The taller girl's hands began to shake, and she released Gumi from her hold. "Whatever. I'll say whatever I want about who ever I want," Meiko said, her tone cooling down to one of passiveness. With one hand placed on the counter area beside the sink, she leaned towards the mirror, taking in the sight of her reflection.

Gumi merely flattened out any creases that may have appeared on her vest and shirt. "Trash talking is quite unbecoming, onee-chan," she said, as she adjusted the goggles on her head that had become askew. She ignored the glare that Meiko gave her in the mirror, and put her hands on her hips. "But consider this a warning. If you say anything else about Miki-chan—"

"Since when did you care so much about Miki-chan, anyway?" Meiko snapped back, with a roll of her eyes. "Last I heard, you were following Miku-chan around like a lost puppy. And from what the twins have told Kai-kun—" Her own personal nickname for her blue-haired lover. "You think Lily-chan was pretty, too."

Under these sudden attacks from Meiko, the green haired girl surprised herself with how calm she looked in the mirror. "Mm? Miku-chan and Lily-chan?" she shrugged, and turned the faucet on. "So what if I think they're attractive? That doesn't mean that I'm going to fall head over heels for them anytime soon. Besides, they're both idiots. Idiots that are nice to look at." Her hands were dipped under the running water, and she began to scrub the dye off from her fingers. "But really, I'm not into dating. _'Feelings of love are just a temporary lapse in judgment. Like a mental illness_," she quoted.

Meiko blinked, and remained silent. Gumi never went on talking like this for such an extended amount of time. This was rare. "_Mental illness or not, you're talking like someone who's been in an unrequited love…"_ she thought.

"And I'll admit, Miki-chan's attractive, but she's too innocent of a person for you to trash talk," Gumi continued, her green eyes looked at the garnet ones through the mirror. "She needs to be protected from stupid bitches like you. She's only a naïve 16 year old."

Meiko felt her eye twitch. She let out a "hmph" and folded her arms across her chest. "And you're only 18, like Miku-chan. So that doesn't make you that much better than Miki-chan," she huffed.

Gumi smirked. "It doesn't? Because right now, I'd have to say that for a 24 year old, you're acting like quite the irritated brat," she commented snidely. With a flick of her wrists, any extra droplets of water flew off of her hands and into the sink. The faucet was turned off, and her hands were dried with the plush hand towel hanging from the wall. "It's funny, isn't it? You, Gakupo-nii and Kaito-nii are the oldest, but Luka-nee, who's only 21, acts so much more mature than you. Sometimes even Lily-nee acts more mature-"

"What—You little brat! Don't talk to your elders that way!"

"Maybe if my elders weren't acting like children, I would show some respect," Gumi countered. She opened the bathroom door, and glanced at the clock. "Wash the dye out in half an hour. Your hair should be fine after that."

"You're a real brat, you know that? No wonder you and Miku are best friends," Meiko growled. "She thinks she owns the world—ack!"

Gumi threw the towel at Meiko's face. "Not another word, got it?" She hissed. "I don't want to hear Miki-chan or Miku-chan's names come out of your mouth. Unless you're calling them _God_, you better not say anything about them." The door shut behind the girl, leaving the atmosphere in the bathroom in high tensions.

When the door clicked shut, Meiko pulled the cell phone out from her pocket and typed out a note.

_Megpoid Gumi's weakness - Furukawa Miki + Hatsune Miku.  
><em>

She grinned as she slipped her phone away into the safety of her pocket. She knew someday, someone would find this information to be quite valuable. And until that day, she would safeguard the note.

Who knows? Maybe she could find a use for this information herself.

* * *

><p>The pair stood outside on the balcony connected to the pink haired girl's bedroom.<p>

Lily had her back against the cast iron railing, elbows lazily using the rail for support. Her head was turned away from her friend, focusing out on the gardens below them. Body posture stiff, it was clear to Luka that her friend was troubled.

Luka stood opposite Lily, back against the wall of the mansion. Her hands were clasped behind her back as she observed her friend with worried eyes.

It was rare to see Lily like this. Luka was unaccustomed to seeing her friend gazing off with a melancholic expression, those blue eyes void of their normal cheeky glint.

"So, what's up, Lu-chan?" Lily asked. Although she may have been using her usually carefree tone of voice, Luka noticed that the words were strained. Forced. "It's kinda early to want to have a serious talk, if this is what's gonna happen. It's only…" She glanced at her black wristwatch. "10 AM. My brain doesn't function well until it's past noon."

Luka sighed. "Is something wrong?"

"… No," Lily answered, her mouth creasing into a frown.

"Promise?"

"Promise." The blonde continued to avoid making eye contact with Luka. As if she were agitated, Lily roughly ran a hand through her hair. "I'm fine, so don't worry about me, okay?"

"But-!"

"Lu-chan, seriously. We're big kids now. I can take care of myself, ya know," Lily said, as she stood up straight. Her hands were shoved into the pockets of her jeans as she strode towards Luka. "You need to quit worrying, 'kay? I mean, you've already got enough on your hands."

Luka hated when Lily tried to pull the "tough guy" act. "But you're my best friend—"

"Seriously, quit worrying about me." Her dee blue eyes met Luka's lighter ones.

When Luka gazed into those eyes, she saw just how tormented her friend really was. "Lily…"

Lily grinned at Luka, and began to pat her on the head. "Little kitty—koneko-chan," she sang, teasingly. "Worried your master'll get hurt or something?"

The pinkette ignored her friend's mocking tone. "I'm—No! It's just, you look so lost.." she said softly. "Like you're hurting."

The blonde stopped petting her friend. She pulled her hand away, and shoved it back into her pocket. "Nah, I'm not."

"Kind of like you're a lost puppy."

A long pause. "I'm a what?"

Luka's cheeks became a light pink, somewhat from the slight embarrassment she was feeling. "A lost puppy. If I'm a kitten, you have to be a puppy!" She shot back. To Lily, it sounded like the pinkette was whining.

Lily snickered, and shook her head as she walked past Luka, heading inside. "Whatever."

The pinkette stayed where she was, leaning against the wall. She shut her eyes and pursed her lips together lightly. "What's wrong with you, Li-chan?" she murmured into the wind.

* * *

><p>The twins stood on the metal platform of the DDR machine. The elder twin had a wide grin on her face as she eagerly waited for her brother to select a song. Surrounding them stood four of their Onee-chan's, each with a smile on their faces as they observed the twins.<p>

"Mou, Onee-chan!" Len whined. "I don't really want to play. Ask Miki-nee if she'll play."

"I don't mind playing for Len-kun—"

"NO!" Rin protested, as she puffed her cheeks out. "Nee-chan's the best at this game! It's like she already knows what arrows are gonna come up next! I need to play against someone who's at my level!" She folded her arms across her chest and stuck her nose up in the air.

The cherry-loving girl gave Len an apologetic smile. "If that's the case, then I suppose Len-kun is the only one who should play against you, Rin-chan," she said, suppressing a giggle.

Rin nodded and flicked her bangs away from her eyes. "Exactly! Len-kun's on my level! If I play him, I know I could at least kick his ass!"

Miki's smile faltered a little. "Don't use that kind of language—"

"I WILL KICK HIS ASS, NEE-CHAN! JUST YOU WATCH! THEN I'LL BE YOUR FAVORITE LITTLE SISTER!"

"You're my _only_ little sister," Miki sighed, as she pointed out the obvious.

"Oh yeah.."

Beside Miki, Miku smiled. She leaned over to help Len look for a song. One teal finger pressed on the arrow button, as she looked for her favorite song, "Honey Punch". "How about this one, Len-ku-… Oh." Her sentence was cut short by the blonde boy. Len's brows had furrowed together as he slammed a hand against the select button, picking a song at random.

"Eeeeeeh! Baka, Len!" Rin screeched, as she stared at the bold "ARE YOU READY?" on the screen. "What song did you even pick!"

The pinkette standing between Lily and Miku nodded in agreement. She smiled, and simply gave Rin a pat on the shoulder. "You'll do just fine, Rin-chan," she said, in an attempt to placate the young blonde.

Rin let out an exasperated groan. She spread her legs out on the dance pad as she readied herself for the song.

Lily couldn't help but let out an involuntary snicker at Len's course of action, and the mixed look of horror and rage on Rin's face. "Geez, these twins are something else," she laughed.

Luka looked at Lily, and continued to smile. "I suppose so," she agreed. "But they remind me of us when we were their age." A thoughtful look appeared on her face, and she nodded in agreement with herself. The startled look on her best friend's face, which was followed by a faint blush, went unnoticed by her as she continued to reminisce.

Once the arrows began to flash onto the screen, the twins began to step on the corresponding pad beneath their feet. As the song progressed, it rapidly became clear to the older girls that Rin would undoubtedly lose to her younger brother. Sensing that the older twin may throw a fit at losing, both Miki and Miku began to cheer Rin on.

"Come on, Rin-chan! YOU CAN DO IT!" Miku cheered, as she pumped a fist into the air.

"You're doing a great job, Rin-chan!" Miki said encouragingly. She looked at the pony-tailed boy, and smiled. "You, too, Len-kun," she added.

Luka simply smiled. She wanted to stay until the end of the song, but it was her turn to prepare dinner. And she didn't have the proper ingredients for the meal she was planning. With a reluctant sigh, she turned away from the group and began to head towards the only exit. Half-way there, she was stopped by someone grabbing onto her hand.

"Hey, you weren't going to say 'bye' to anyone?" Lily asked, glad that she noticed her friend was about to leave. The look in her eyes almost seemed to plead with Luka, as if she wanted to beg the pink haired girl to stay.

Luka laughed, and shook her head. The expression displayed on her best friend's face was just so cute. It was as if Lily had become a lost puppy, begging someone to keep them company. "Everyone seemed like they were enjoying themselves. I thought it would be best just to slip away while I could," she explained. "But, if it makes you feel any better… Good-bye, Li-chan. I'll see you at dinner."

The blonde girl's heartbeat quickened and her cheeks warmed, and she mentally slapped herself for reacting so. "_Li-chan! When the fuck did she come up with that? That's not even—"_

"And, before you ask, because I know you will later.." Luka interrupted her friend's thoughts. "I won't be lonely going by myself to the market."

At this comment, Lily nearly busted out laughing, despite the fact that her heart was still pounding. "What—Oh, yeah, yeah. Whatever," she said between giggles. "Go ahead and buy food."

"Okay… But I can only leave if you let go of my hand," the pinkette pointed out, gesturing to the tight grip that Lily had on said hand.

"Eh—shit, sorry," Lily apologized, a little flustered. This time, she mentally slammed her head against a wall. _"What the hell am I doing?"_ she thought to herself, as she hurriedly turned away from Luka. The blonde shook her head, and went back to join the others at the DDR machine.

Luka giggled, and headed out of the room. She was still highly amused with the fact that, for once, the tables had turned. Instead of her being flustered by Lily's (somewhat stupid) off-hand comments, it was Lily who was caught off guard. At any rate, she was glad that the melancholic look in Lily's eyes had vanished during this exchange.

* * *

><p>From afar, the tealette had watched the exchange between Luka and Lily. Oh no, she had noticed that the two had slipped away from the group. It may have been for a brief minute or so, but Miku had noticed their absence.<p>

And something about the two older girl's interactions set alarm bells ringing in her head.

No, she couldn't hear what they were saying to each other due to the blasting music coming from the dance game; but she did watch their body language with one another. Lily seemed less sure of herself in her actions. Miku was accustomed to seeing Lily act brash, acting on impulses rather than thinking about things clearly. But from what she could tell, it seemed like the blonde startled herself with her actions.. Or even became flustered?

The tealette shook her head. It was strange indeed… And Lily's behavior early was quite odd; like when the group had all gathered in front of the TV before they played DDR.

The group would chat about what they had been up to, or make comments about what was displayed on the flat screen. Every now and again, Rin, Len, or Miki would get caught up in a discussion with Lily. During these conversations, Lily would be fine. Her arms would wave around as she spoke, especially when she was passionate about the subject at hand. It was what was expected from Lily.

But when _Miku_ had decided to chat up her blonde onee-chan, Lily's behavior was slightly modified. The blonde would still talk with her hands, and display that easy going grin of hers. But Lily's eyes… They seemed like they were hiding something. Something that Lily tried hard to suppress within herself. And yet they displayed determination at the same time. But what was Lily so determined about? What could possibly make her _eyes_ look that way?

What really caught Miku's attention was when Luka would talk to Lily. Yes, the tealette knew she was slightly paranoid when it came to Luka and Lily interacting with one another, but she couldn't help but observe their behaviors. And what she saw was quite different from the norm.

At the time the two childhood friends were seated together on the loveseat, with Miku standing behind them on the couch. But that didn't deter Lily and Luka from chatting amongst each other. (Which was fine with Miku. At least this way, she could observe them). Whenever Luka spoke to Lily, the blonde would avoid holding eye contact for too long, opting to glance away at the TV or at a random point in the room. And if Luka shifted a little, subconsciously moving closer to her security blanket (well, person), Lily would immediately shift _away_ from the pinkette. To Miku, this seemed like brushing against Luka was a terrifying thing to Lily.

But what bothered Miku the most? The fact that whenever Luka wasn't paying attention to Lily, the blonde would steal a glance at her.

"_What the heck could that mean?"_ Miku thought to herself, as rubbed her temples. She was getting a slight headache from analyzing everything that had happened with Masuda Lily over the past few hours.

The troubled tealette didn't realize that she had been blankly staring at the screen of the DDR machine for the past minute or two.

"Miku-nee?" Kagamine Len asked, jolting the tealette from her thoughts. "Did you want to play against onee-chan in DDR? I just lost, so I think I should take a break and let someone else play…" He stepped down from the metal platform, and smiled at her.

"Ah—What—" Miku stammered, as she looked at the waiting twins. "No, no thanks, I'm fine."

"Hah, hah, hah!" Rin laughed arrogantly. "Not even Miku-nee will face me! It seems that you're all afraid of my skill as a DDR master!"

Lily snorted, and gave Miki a push onto the platform. "Play against Miki-chan, then, and see how you do." The grin was back on her face, void of any of the embarrassment or awkwardness that Miku had noticed before.

Miku blinked, and looked at Lily. This was normal Lily behavior.

So what was it that she was seeing before?

Oh God. If she kept thinking about this, her brain was sure to explode….

* * *

><p>Later that day, Luka was alone in the kitchen. Before her lay a chopping board and some washed vegetables, who were awaiting their unavoidable demise. A knife in one hand, and a look of fierce determination on her face, the pinkette began her assault on the vegetables.<p>

_Thud, thud, thud, thud._

Each blow came with rapid succession as the vegetables were quickly sliced up. The girl was so pre-occupied with preparing the vegetables for the salad, that she failed to notice someone standing beside her. It was only when Luka paused to wipe her brow did she notice the other girl looking at her curiously. "Ah—When did you-? ACK!" Startled by the appearance of the younger girl, Luka had involuntarily flung the knife up into the air. She thankfully caught it by the handle, relief washing over her now hyperactive nerves.

"Ne, ne!" The younger girl smiled. "A salad? What else are you making? Can I help?"

"Miku-chan, please don't show up out of the blue like that," Luka sighed, as she finally caught her breath.

Miku blinked up at the pink haired girl, tilting her head slightly to one side. "Eh? I've been standing here for a minute or so now…"

"Is that so?" Luka looked a little surprised at this revelation. She must have been extremely caught up with cutting up the vegetables for the salad if that was the case…

"Do you need any help though, senpai?" Miku asked once more. Her eyes looked over the ingredients set out beside the range. "Ramen?" she guessed, surprised that Luka was making such a simple dinner.

The older girl nodded, and smiled down at Miku. "Yes, ramen and a salad. It may be an odd combination, but I picked up some already made sushi as well."

The tealette laughed, pulled an apron out from one of the numerous drawers in the kitchen. "I suppose I'll make the ramen, then," she said, as she filled abnormally large pot with water. Carefully, Miku set it down on the range.

"Ah—No! That's fine, Miku-chan!" Luka protested. "It's no problem for me to make it myself!"

"Luka-senpai, you went out and did all of the grocery shopping," Miku said, as she turned the range on. The electric range hummed to life, and the circle beneath the pot lit up as it began to slowly heat the water up. "You can just sit down and take a break. Or go take a nap." Her teal eyes flickered over at Luka as a smile danced on her lips. "Just relax."

Luka averted making eye contact with those mesmerizing teal eyes. "Mm.. Alright, if you're really okay with that, then I suppose it isn't a problem if you make the ramen," she said slowly. "I'll be right here if you want to chat." The older girl took a seat at the island bar. On the counter was a copy of the novel "Eclipse". It wasn't exactly to her taste, it being some vague vampire romance novel, but Luka had a general idea of what the series was about. A critical eye looked over the summary for the novel within the cover.

"_Love triangle, hm?"_ She thought to herself, as she began to flip through the book. She stopped at a random page and began to read.

The kitchen was silent, save for the sounds of the bubbling, water. A splash echoed through the room when Miku added in the noodles. The teal haired girl looked over at her senpai with a warm smile on her face. Although they may not be speaking to each other at the moment, she was content. The silence wasn't awkward, it was just comfortable.

And it seemed that Luka had slowly begun to let her guard down, just a little bit, when she was around Miku. The teal girl had to remind herself that it wasn't the same as when Luka was with Lily. No, her relationship, or rather, friendship, hadn't developed to that point yet.

"But it will,"Miku vowed softly to herself, as she added in the rest of the ingredients. "It will happen one day…"

"What will happen?" Luka asked. Although she was speaking to Miku, her eyes were trained on the book in front of her. Okay. The whole concept behind the vampire novel was a little ridiculous, but at the moment, it was kind of an amusing read.

Miku's smile widened a little bit. "We'll be close to each other one day," she answered honestly. "Maybe as really good friends, maybe as lovers." A pause as she shrugged. "Who knows? But I'm hoping for the latter myself."

The pink girl's face flushed at those words. "Miku-chan," she sighed, embarrassed. "You're quite the determined girl…" As a means of distraction, Luka tried to focus on the words printed onto the page before her.

"Well, you won't get anything out of life if you don't chase after it," came Miku's anwer. "Right? You had to work to become part of the Vocaloid group, since hundreds of other people went to the auditions to claim the spot of 'CV03'."

"True…"

The teal haired girl giggled. "Exactly. If I want you to be mine, I have to do everything I can to steal your heart away," she explained. She paused, wondering if continuing on with this topic was a good idea. Would it make Luka throw her walls back up around her heart?

Luka sighed, and propped her head up in one hand. "I suppose you do have a point there, Miku-chan," she said, as she turned to a new page. Her blue eyes glanced over the counter and caught site of those teal eyes. "Although, what if you don't receive the result that you're expecting?"

The smile on Miku's face did not waver at the question. "Then I hope we could still be friends," she answered.

Miku may have been smiling, but Luka noticed something new in those teal eyes. The confidence and determination that she had come to recognize had faltered a little bit. Hidden beneath the confidence that the teal haired girl normally displayed was a hint of doubt and sorrow, which caught Luka off guard. The pinkette hadn't expected to see such emotions from the younger girl.

And this realization made Luka's chest tighten. She wasn't trying to hurt Miku, but if things didn't work out… It would be unavoidable.

"Why are you trying so hard?" Luka asked quietly, her voice strained.

"That's because I like you," the tealette sang, as she stirred the pot. "I want you to be mine. I want you to look at me, and only me."

Luka could have sworn that she could hear her own heartbeat through her chest. Her blue eyes widened at the sincere look on Miku's face.

It couldn't be...

But it had to be true. Just by looking into those teal eyes Luka could just tell.

She could see it.

The teal haired girl meant every word that she said.

* * *

><p>When she heard those words, Lily felt hear heart stop. She peered around the corner of the entrance way to look at Miku and Luka.<p>

From what she could see, the looks on the faces of the two were so… serious. Miku was nearly radiating the hope and sincerity that she felt when she had spoken those words. And Luka?

Luka looked like she believed every last word.

She put a hand over her heart, and gripped her shirt. Those words, spoken with absolute sincerity, burned in her ears. How could she be so selfish and realize now that there were always feelings in her heart for Luka?

It would be selfish of her to try and make a move on her best friend now; especially since it seemed that Miku was truly crushing, or maybe even in _love_, with Luka.

But something within Lily stirred. It was a foreign feeling. Something that she had never understood even when others spoke to hear about it.

Hearing Miku's words upset her, and she wanted to find a way to make this feeling of rage go away. Rage? No. It wasn't rage. It was a foreign feeling. Something that she had never understood even when others spoke to hear about it.

Jealousy.

It was then that Lily realized she could no longer keep up her façade. Ever since that night in Luka's room, she had managed to avoid having extremely personal conversations with Luka. Instead, she settled for sometimes vague responses, or would make Luka leave her alone by mentioning Miku's strawberry chapstick. But she now knew she could no longer do that. The blonde was hoping, _praying,_ that if she avoided any intimate moments with her childhood friend those feelings would go away. Those damn feelings that haunted her at night. Those feelings that took over her body whenever Luka was around.

It was a futile wish, to think that she could run away from her emotions.

It was despicable that she would fall in love with her best friend, who was already struggling to come to terms with what she felt for Miku.

It was useless for her to pretend for the past four days, things could return to what they had spent that night together, under the stars and then laying side by side in Luka's bed. Before those kisses that Miku had stolen from Luka. Before those eHarmony accounts were ever created.

Wearily, Lily slowly walked away from the kitchen.

Away from the two that were making her thoughts go wild with emotions that she had never dealt with before.

_Away from those words._

Miku's words may have had good intentions behind them, but to Masuda Lily, this was war.

* * *

><p><strong>Note: <strong>We finally made it to the end of chapter 8! Thank you so much for sticking around until the end of the chapter!

I hope you were able to follow along with the story just fine. If not, then I'm sorry if I confused you. x_x

And yes, I finally settled on the ages for them! Yes, I changed around their ages so it would fit my needs. xD But in case you forgot…

Gakupo, Kaito & Meiko – 24

Lily & Luka – 21

Gumi & Miku – 18

Miki – 16

Rin & Len – 14…. But they act like they're younger than that. Haha

_To the Reviewers!_

_Jak656 – _Ah, really? You were expecting it? xD;; Well, I've been waiting to write about it since chapter 2. Hahaha. And to answer your question, I _adore_ the Harry Potter series. It's my favorite series of all time. (^o^)b arigatou!

_Justa person:_ Can I just say that seeing "lily you bastard" almost made me choke on my coffee this morning from giggling so much? xD But thank you!

_PaperCutVictim:_ Ah! Hahahah. It seems we have similar tastes. xD I have a soft spot for Lily/Luka (obviously). XP And it's sad that I can clearly imagine those infamous "ehehehe~"s of yours. Hahaha. But thank you!

_Lovecakes98:_I googled it actually.. From what I remember, you're right. They are really opposites! Hahah. And thanks! :D I was hoping it'd be a good twist!

_LukaFan:_ LOL. I like Luka and Lily as a couple, too. And Luka and Miku. So writing this is a lot of fun for me. xD; But you're right! I have incorporated some of the comments. (: I like to think of them as my little shout outs to those who've been supporting me from the beginning. Thank you so much!

_MeisLovely:_ ah, well… I hope Shiro's okay now. But thank you, Kuro! XD Take care of her, 'kay?

_Thyrokio: _Wow, you were up late.. But then again, so was I. hahaha. I'm glad that you find my story to be that interesting, though! It mkes me happy to hear/read that!

_IdrewAcow:_ hehehe. Yeah, I was personally excited to release this chapter because of the love triangle. Thanks for your support!

_Major Mike Powell III: _LOL. I love writing about Luka and Lily's interactions. So it makes me really happy to hear that you and everyone else enjoy those Luka/Lily scenes. :D But… SIR YES SIR. I'll do my best to update as quickly as I can!

_Reviewer:_ Well hey! :D That makes me feel REALLY good. I'm so glad that you like my story! :D Thank you for your kind words!

_contradicting lines: _Ah, okay, I see. Hahaha. First generation American, then? I'm first generation. xD And thanks! I've never heard anyone describe my writing style that way. It's really flattering to read reviews like that. So thanks a ton! (:

.

AAAHHH. I freaking LOVE you guys. Thank you for all of your support! (TvT) I hope I can continue to entertain you guys with more chapters of Slice of Life!

All of these reviews are extremely appreciated. They make me smile every morning. Thanks, guys!

Until the next chapter, take care!


	9. Wine Berry

**Slice of Life**

**Chapter 9 – Wine Berry**

Aaaaahhhh! I can't believe it's only been a little over a week, and I'm already writing chapter 9 for all of you! This is exciting. (:

And this chapter's title comes from an awesome Miku and Gumi duet. If you haven't heard it, I recommend you give it a listen. But yeah, I've been on a roll with using Vocaloid songs as chapter titles. I hope I can keep that up… haha!

But yes, I do update at the most random times. Whenever I can't sleep, I type until I feel sleepy…

Also. I'm sorry if I offend any Justin Bieber fans. That is not my intention. ): But the reference I'll be making was fitting..

And I'll also be incorporating some of the [translated] lyrics from "Wine Berry" throughout this chapter. Yes, they'll be in brackets like this – [lyricsgohere]. Just a heads up.

Anyway. Let's start chapter 9!

(Also. Youtube to Wine Berry. Just remove the spaces.

http: / /www. you tube. com/watch? v=b6KMrrNWYZk )

**Disclaimer: **Yeah, those Vocaloids? I still don't own them. So I'll settle with owning this story.

* * *

><p>It was a gorgeous day out, and the older residents of the Vocaloid household were taking full advantage of the last few pleasant days that early autumn would have to offer them before the chilly winds kicked in. The group was gathered around an aluminum dining table, finished with bronze. Each singer sat comfortably in their cushioned seat, enjoying the comfort that the sun offered. Spread out on the table were various snacks laid out for them to enjoy; biscuits, cookies, fruits, and slices of cake. Respectively, they sipped either coffee or tea from their mugs or tea cups.<p>

"Ah man!" One of the boys cried out, as he stretched his arms up into the air. Compared to his companions, his attire was simple; a white, long-sleeved button down, and khaki pants. The sleeves of his white button down shirt had been pushed up to just above his elbows, allowing him to move more easily. His deep blue bangs were brushed aside so he could look at the girl seated beside him. "Ne, Mei-chaaaan!"

Meiko, whose hair was restored to all of its brown glory thanks to a green haired housemate, gave the blue boy a peek from the corner of her eye. The red mug in her hand was held up to her lips, and she was about to take a sip of her creamed coffee before the boy halted her. "Yeah?" Unlike her boyfriend's more conservative attire, she had gone out of her way to ensure that his eyes were on her. Her black midriff top hung loosely from her shoulders, and certainly exposed the skin of her shoulders and collar bone. And her bottoms? Red skinny jeans. Yes, Meiko did like to grab attention.

"I lurve you!" Kaito grinned, as he gave her a cheesy smile, and made a heart with his hands.

A snort came from the other side of the table. "Wow, that had to be one of the lamest things I have ever had the misfortune of witnessing," spoke the long haired purple boy. He wrapped his fingers around the handle of the elegant tea cup set before him, and brought the delectable beverage to his lips. With a satisfied smile, he set the cup down on the saucer before he continued. "Seriously, Kaito-kun. We all know you love Meiko-chan here-" One hand lazily gestured at the red-clad girl. "But I'd like to enjoy my afternoon tea time without wanting to vomit from the amount of PDA before me. One might think that you aren't being.. Manly."

Kaito scrunched his nose up and stuck his tongue out at Gakupo. "What! Manly?" He shot back, almost in disbelief. "I'm pretty damn manly! Any _real_ man would tell his girlfriend how much he loves her! And besides!" The blue haired boy slammed one hand down on the table, and with the other, pointed an accusing finger at the other boy. "What kind of man wears such a girly shade of purple? I'll tell you! A JUSTIN BIEBER WANNABE!"

Gakupo twitched. His deep purple eyes looked over the clothing that he was wearing.

Purple hoodie? Check.

White tee-shirt? Check…

Black jeans? …. Check.

The purple haired gentleman covered his face with one hand in shame.

At this, Meiko roared with laughter. The corners of her eyes soon began to sparkle as the sunlight reflected off from the tears that had formed from laughing. "Oh- Shoot- That's- just- PFFFT!" She failed to form a coherent sentence.

Kaito folded his arms across his chest, smugly smirking at Gakupo. "Oh yeah, I went there," He said triumphantly, before he sank back down into his seat. "I went there."

Irritated, Gakupo rolled his eyes and looked at the girl who had been sitting beside him in silence. "Luka-chan didn't think it was very funny," he stated, as he nudged the pink haired girl. "Right, Luka-chan?"

The youngest member of the group had been silent the entire time the group was together. An arm was propped up on the table, and her head laid in its open palm. She had been lost in her thoughts, and completely missed any and all topics of discussion.

"Ah—I'm sorry," she apologized, as she quickly sat up in her seat. Her hands in her lap, she bowed her head slightly at the older Vocaloids. "I was pre-occupied…"

At this, the older Vocaloids exchanged mixed looks with one another. Taking advantage of the fact that Luka was now looking down at her lap, the other three began to communicate through facial expressions.

"_What the fuck is wrong with Luka today?"_ Meiko's face said.

Gakupo shrugged. _"I'm not sure."_

"_Maybe she's suffering from a lack of ice cream,"_ Kaito expressed, with a mock gasp.

Both Gakupo and Meiko glared at him. "_Don't be stupid."_ Their faces said, shutting down the blue boy immediately.

"_She has been acting different all week,"_ Gakupo mouthed, unsure of how he could express that statement through his face.

"_It's her special time of month! It's the time that shows true woman hood, in all of its red stained glory!"_

Noticing the silence, Luka timidly looked up from her lap, only to see Meiko putting Kaito in a vicious chokehold. The brunette was grinding one fist into his head.

"How. Dare. You. Say. Such. Moronic. Things!" Meiko enunciated each word by applying more pressure to her supposed 'better half's head.

And despite the massive amounts of pain that he was feeling, Kaito managed to laugh. "Oh, Mei-chan! I love it when you get rough!"

The two calmer, tea loving Vocaloids sat in silence, and watched the scene unfold. Pink and purple sat in silence, occasionally sipping their tea.

The long-term couple continued to shout meaningless words at one another; red refusing to accept that _that _time of the month was truly a gift to women, blue merely laughing as he fended off red's attacks. Unsurprisingly, Meiko only settled down once Kaito promised to give her money to go out drinking that night.

Gakupo cleared his throat, and turned his attention back to CV03. "Ah, Luka-chan?" He began. "There's obviously something bothering you—"

Luka stiffened and looked away from him.

"And Kaito-kun, Meiko-chan and I are worried about you," Gakupo continued. He leaned back in his seat, never taking his eyes off of the introverted girl beside him. "You know that you can talk to us."

Both Kaito and Meiko instantly began to nod their heads in agreement.

"Yeah! We're the three best friends that anybody could have!" Kaito exclaimed, as he slammed a fist down onto the table. "So you can tell us anything and we'll listen—"

"We're not her best friends," Meiko corrected. "That's Lily-chan's job."

At the mention of the blonde, Luka flinched.

"Okay, well.. We can still listen to you, Luka-chan, and offer some advice," Kaito amended, a pout on his face. "But seriously… I can act like an idiot sometimes, but even I noticed something's wrong with you—"

A mumble came from the girl in question.

The three older Vocaloids blinked, and looked at her.

"Lily-chan's been acting different," Luka repeated, raising her voice so the others could hear her clearly. She sighed, and pushed the saucer holding her tea cup away from her. With the free space, she put both arms on the table, and rested her head onto her palms. "And I can't figure out why." It was clear from her tone that she was frustrated and confused.

"'Different'?" Meiko repeated incredulously. "She seems the same to me. I haven't noticed anything."

The younger girl shook her head. "Well… I suppose I should explain," she sighed. "Lily-chan doesn't act like the Lily I know… She's just been different. Really, really different... Like the other day…" Luka began to recount the events that had taken place this week.

* * *

><p><em>The Other Day…<em>

"SPLAT! BLAM! KABOOOOOM! DIE, ZOMBITCH!" Lily roared, as she furiously pounded on the keys of the PlayStation controller. The blonde was seated on the floor, cross-legged. As she played, she would duck to her left or right, reenacting the actions that her game character made. On one ear was a Bluetooth headset, which she was currently yelling into much to the annoyance of the other online players in the virtual game lobby.

For the past four hours, she had been so absorbed in playing "Call of Duty: Black Ops". The game was like her personal brand of heroin.

Behind her on the couch sat Luka, snugly wrapped in a blanket. On her lap was a book, which she was having increasing difficulties focusing on. Her excited friend was too much of a distraction to focus on the hard backed novel.

The controller flew up into the air as Lily let out groan of dissatisfaction. "What the hell was that, _ZombiKiller452_?" she yelled into the headset. "I went to save your ass, and you let me die! WORST BACK UP EVER!"

"Lily-chan, I doubt they really care about the game as much as you do," Luka mused, as she turned to a new page in the book. "It's just a game—"

"IT'S MORE THAN A GAME!" Lily shouted in protest, as she waited for a new round to start. "It's a way of _life."_

Luka stared at the back of her friends head, and smiled slightly. "You're being ridiculous, you know," she stated, with a light hearted laugh. "Acting like a _child…_"

The blonde snorted, and shrugged her shoulders. "What? Am not," she retorted, leaning forward as she began to unleash a rain of fire on the offending zombies.

"Yes, you are," Luka pressed. "The last time you were this worked up over a game was when they first released the GameCube. You made me spend the night so someone would feed you while you played!"

The girl on the floor got up, and plopped down on the other end of the couch, ensuring that there was space between her and the pinkette. Lily had a look of pure concentration on her face as she continued to kill the zombies. "Yeah, well, someone had to take care of me," she replied, her brows creasing together.

The pink haired girl shook her head, and continued to smile as she moved onto the next page in her book. "You're wrong."

"About what?"

"Someone still needs to take care of you," Luka answered. "Look at us. You auditioned to be a Vocaloid right after I told you that I was the new CV03."

Although Lily's blue eyes were focused on the high definition TV in front of her, she gave Luka a smile in acknowledgement. "Of course. There's no way I could let you move into a house full of strangers," she stated. "Timid little Lu-chan, living with internationally known singers? The thought of you freaking out over nothing was something that bothered me. You needed someone there to protect you."

Luka laughed and shook her head at the other girl. "Mou, Lily-chan, I could have taken care of myself just fine," she insisted. "It wouldn't have been hard. And you wouldn't of had any reason to worry about me," the pink haired girl continued. "Everyone here is so nice. They would never do anything to hurt me."

The blonde gave her friend a side-long glance, and simply shrugged one shoulder.

"But, really, it's funny that you followed me all the way here," Luka pressed onwards. Page turn. "It's always been like that, hasn't it? Like when we were going to decide on what high schools and universities to go to. You applied to every school that I did."

"Yeah, well… You kinda asked me to apply to them too," Lily pointed out, a smirk on her face.

"I know, I know. But I wasn't expecting you to actually go to the schools with me," the pink haired girl continued. She finally looked up from her book, focusing those light blue eyes on her longtime companion. "It was nice to have you always there. I don't know what I would have done if you weren't there."

From where she was sitting, Luka thought she saw some pink shade the blonde's cheeks. A trick of the light, perhaps?

"You'd probably get harassed by some dumb ass guys, or something," the blonde said, with a snicker. "And then you would've called me, crying to come over and give you a big ol' hug."

Luka couldn't help but laugh. "You're probably right, Li-chan," she agreed. "But that doesn't change the fact that you still followed me like a puppy—hey!"

Lily had dropped her controller and leaned across the couch. On her knees with one hand helping to support her, Lily gave Luka a loaded look, filled with annoyance and amusement. The blonde flicked Luka in the forehead. "Quit calling me a puppy, kitty," she ordered.

Luka grabbed Lily's extended hand and tried her very best to glare at the blonde. "Then don't call me a kitty, puppy."

"I said quit it, kitty," Lily insisted, as she slowly came closer and closer to Luka.

Luka inched away from Lily. "Baka! You stop first! Baka koinu-chan!"

"Koneko-chan!"

"Koinu!"

"Koneko!"

Luka opened her mouth to speak, but stopped she realized that she was backed up against the arm rest of the couch.

_Trapped_, was what her mind screamed at her.

Trapped between the couch and the blonde who was hovering over her, Luka suddenly felt her cheeks flush. Never in their long friendship had the two been in such a compromising position. She shyly avoided making eye contact with Lily by turning her head away, choosing to look at the leather back of the couch.

"What's wrong, koneko-chan?" Lily asked softly, laughing lightly. "Did this silly puppy get your tongue?"

What a ridiculous play on words.

The cardigan that Luka had been wearing had fallen off from her shoulders as a result of the pair's odd maneuvers during their verbal battle. When Lily shifted, her long blonde hair brushed against Luka's skin.

Luka shivered at the faint touch, and let out an involuntary mew.

The corners of Lily's mouth twitched from amusement. "Koneko-chan, did you just—"

"N-no!" Luka stammered, her blue eyes fiercely meeting Lily's darker ones. "I just—ah—…"

"Hm?"

"L-Lily-chan.. Why're you so close?" The pinkette gulped, her heart pounding furiously.

It would seem that while Luka was focused on avoiding Lily's gaze, Lily had taken it upon herself to close the distance between them. No longer was the blonde using her extended arms as support. Lily's elbows were propping her up from either side of Luka's head. Her blonde hair acted as a curtain, blocking out any outside distraction, and forcing Luka to keep the intense gaze.

The pinkette felt her breathing hitch when Lily chuckled, for the blonde's slightly warm breath blew across her own lips. It was strange. Lily had never been able to get these kind of reactions from her before…

Highly amused and feeling a little daring, Lily pressed the tip of her nose against Luka's. "Aw, the little kitty's flustered," she teased, keeping her voice barely above a whisper.

Lily shifted, and Luka shut her eyes tight, cheeks hot. The long strands of gold brushed against Luka's burning cheeks, and it felt as if the long hair could put out the fire that she felt in her cheeks.

"You're so cute when you get like this, koneko-chan," Lily half sung, half whispered into Luka's ear. She lifted her head back up and looked into those nervous blue eyes. "I told myself I would put some distance between us, but…"

_[What makes my heart hot is jealousy…]_

"_Distance? What? Why?" _the pinkette thought, as she desperately tried to piece together what was going on.

"It doesn't seem like I'd be able to do that. It's hard to stay away from you." Lily's deep blue eyes continued to look into Luka's lighter ones.

_[I want you to be my own…]_

And Luka was having difficulty breaking the intense gaze. This was just too different. Way too different. And why was her hand moving by itself? Wait. Why was her hand now _gripping_ onto Lily's tee-shirt?

_What was going on? And what was she doing?_

The blonde raised an eye brow at Luka's action. Slowly, ever so slowly, did she begin to lower her head towards Luka's, lips getting closer and closer…

A buzzing came from the floor as Lily's phone began to vibrate and played music, signaling an incoming call. It may have been a bit conceited of her, but the default tone for her phone was Lily Lily Burning Night.

"Oops. I should get that."

A half-smile was on Lily's face as she winked at Luka before she got off of the hyper alert pink-haired girl. Laughing softly, Lily flipped her hair over shoulder, and picked her phone up from the floor. "Moshii moshii," she said, as she answered the phone and walked away from Luka.

The blonde didn't bother to say goodbye to the pinkette before leaving the room. The door clicked shut behind her, and the only thing Luka could hear was the groans of the zombies coming from the neglected TV and game.

"_What just happened?"_ was the only thought that spun 'round through Luka's mind.

* * *

><p>"So what does that mean? I don't get it. Lily-chan's <em>never<em> acted like that before!" Luka said, clearly exasperated.

Gakupo stared at Luka. "Well…. How do I put this… I think—"

"HOLY SHIT, LILY'S GOT THE HOTS FOR YOU!" Kaito exclaimed, as he nearly jumped up from his seat. "RIGHT, MEI-CHAN?"

Meiko had fallen asleep in her chair. Relationships between girls bored her.

"Oh… If she was awake, she would agree with me," the blue haired man shrugged.

The pinkette looked at Kaito, then back at Gakupo for confirmation.

Gakupo nodded. "It would seem that Lily does…. Have something for you."

At this, Luka's mouth gaped at them. "What—No! Ridiculous. She was probably kidding around," she said, as she hastily stood up. "I've known Lily for ages. I think I would be able to tell if she felt anything more than friendship."

The two boys exchanged looks before they shrugged in response.

"But, Luka-chan, it really seems like Lily—"

"No, no, no.. I'm sure she was kidding," Luka reaffirmed. She shook her head, and walked away from her senpais, heading back inside the mansion.

Kaito had enough tact to wait until the sliding door was closed behind Luka before he spoke. "So… Lily and Luka, or Miku and Luka?" He asked, dropping the usual "-chan" honorific.

The purple haired gentleman stroked his chin thoughtfully with his thumb and index finger. "I think Lily and Luka would be quite nice together," He answered, with a smirk. "I'm going to assume you want your younger cousin to be happy and get a hold of Luka, ne?"

Kaito laughed, and nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that," he agreed. "I know Miku's had a crush on Luka for a long time now, so it'd be great to see her finally with Luka."

The two looked at one another in silence.

"200 yen on Lily winning Luka over."

"1,000 ON MY COUSIN!"

"… Fine then. 1,000 on Lily."

They shook hands, sealing the deal.

* * *

><p>It had been several hours since her discussion with the older Vocaloid boys, plus the sleeping Meiko, and Luka was still feeling a little tense. In order to relax herself, she had decided to go down to the indoor swimming facilities of the mansion. To her surprise, the area was occupied by an odd mix of girls.<p>

Miku and Gumi… And Lily?

Although it was a bit of a surprise to see Lily indoors rather than relaxing outside, whether it be on her hammock or just lying in the grass. Luka was a bit relieved to have her friend there, despite the tensions that had arisen from their encounter earlier that week.

Glass shone under the artificial lights, and it immediately caught Luka's attention. Curious, the pinkette crossed the room and joined the trio by the hot tub. To her surprise, Gumi was clutching three wine glasses in one hand, and an opened bottle of wine in the other. Sitting on the floor beside Gumi were several more bottles of wine.

"Eh? Lily-nee, are you sure it's okay for you to do this?" Gumi asked, as she sat outside of the hot tub, cross-legged. "I'm pretty sure if you and Luka-nee drank while in there, the two of you will pass out. You're being stupid."

Lily laughed as she pulled off her oversized shirt, and dipped on foot into the bubbling waters of the hot tub. "But if you and Miku-chan are here, then we won't have to worry about drowning!" She grinned at Gumi, and gave the younger girl a thumbs up before she went ahead and submerged herself in the water.

Beside her, a certain pinkette sighed. "I think Gumi-chan has a good point, Lily-chan," Luka said hesitantly, as she took a sip from her wine glass.

"Are you going to get in or what?"

"… Okay, I'm coming in," Luka sighed once more before she sat herself down between Lily and Miku.

The teal haired girl was already sitting in the hot tub, and had been simply waiting for the others to join her. In her own hand was a wine glass, which she carefully sipped from.

Gumi watched as the others drank the deep red concoction, and shook her head. She never did like the way alcohol clouded one's judgement. Her emerald eyes looked over at the three other girls, and she blinked.

Odd. She could have sworn she saw teal eyes narrow at the blonde girl. And she could have sworn that the blonde girl gave the owner of the teal eyes a cheeky grin. The teal girl then shifted slightly closer to Luka, returning the blonde's smile with a cheeky smile of her own. In response, the blonde's smirk faded a little, and she looked away.

Interesting. It seems that she would have to do some investigating… _"I'll have to ask Nii-san about this later,"_ Gumi thought to herself, a mental reminder to talk to her purple haired cousin.

As time went on, Gumi found herself refilling the glasses of the drinking girls. She was sure that most people would only drink a glass or two of wine. So why were they so obsessed with having more of it? It was something that she just couldn't comprehend. And sadly, the other girls were slowly developing varying shades of pinks amongst their cheeks.

_[A bit wistful wine berry…]_

"Aaaah, Luka-senpai, your cheeks are pink!" Miku sang, giggling as she took another sip of win. "It's so cute! I just wanna take you home with me!" The tealette set her glass down just outside of the hot tub, and pinched her pink haired senpai's cheeks .

_[With the scent…]_

Luka laughed, and brushed aside the other girl's hands. "You shouldn't say things like that, Miku-chan," she 'scolded' the younger girl. Although Luka herself wasn't very fond of drinking, she had to admit that she was having fun. As a senpai, she shouldn't have let Miku drink at all, but somehow the teal haired girl had manage to convince her by batting those long eyelashes over those enchanting teal eyes…

_[Make me intoxicated…]_

Gumi snorted. When the other girls had reached the point of intoxicated blabbering, the green haired girl pulled out her Nintendo DS. She was seated at the edge of the hot tub, her feet dipped into the warm, inviting water. "But after all of those drinks, I wouldn't be surprised if Miku ended up bringing you back to her room, Luka-nee—THE HELL!" She barely had enough time to dodge the wine glass that had been flying dangerously close to her head. Her head whipped around as she locked her emerald eyes onto her attacker.

Lily had stood up, and pointed at Gumi, her deep blue eyes filled with drunken rage. She was swaying back and forth, struggling to keep her balance. "DON'T SAY—DON'T SAY THAT!" She shouted, words slurred together. "MY KONEKO-CHAN WON'T GO HOME WITH MIKU!" Out of the trio, Lily was by far the most intoxicated. In fact, Gumi clearly remembered filling the blonde's glass several times… Oh God.

"Ne, ne, Lily-nee!" Miku continued to sing her words. "You shouldn't act like a violent brute!"

The pinkette began to giggle. "I'm a koneko-chan?" she repeated, an incredulous expression on her face. "Oh my! Then—Then Li-chan!"

The blonde looked at Luka, the look of rage instantly wiped from her face.

"Li-chan is my koinu-chan!" Luka concluded, baby talking her way through her statements.

Gumi felt her IQ decreasing rapidly. This was exactly why she hated drinking…

Lily blinked a few times her head spinning from the mix of alcohol and the incredibly warm water of the hot tub. "Neh? Me? Koinu-chan?" She asked, her face red. From being drunk or from the water? Or from Luka's casual, albeit drunk, comment? She wasn't sure.

"I'm a koinu-chan?" Lily repeated, before she passed out in the water.

"HOLY SHIT—"

"KOINU-CHAAAAAAN!"

"HAHAHAAH SHE JUST FAINTED!"

Gumi ground her foot against Miku's head for laughing at the passed out blonde before she got into the hot tub and hauled Lily out of the water. Carefully, Gumi wrapped one of Lily's arms around her shoulders, and grunted. "I guess I'll take her up to her room…" She mumbled, as she began to make her out of the vicinity.

Both the pinkette and the tealette watached as Gumi left the room.

"Ano… Senpai?" Miku looked at Luka. She shifted so any of the space between them was eradicated.

Luka looked down at the younger girl, ignorant of her advances. "Mm?"

"You look reeeaaally cute, ya know?" The teal girl giggled, and rested her head on Luka's shoulder. "I really want you to like me as much as I like you." Miku knew how much Luka had had to drink. Sure, the amount Luka had was nowhere near how much Lily had, but it was still a considerable sum. And she was determined to take advantage of this.

The pink haired girl let out a shy giggle as she gave Miku a pat on the head.

_[Ah, I wanna stay like this for eternity…]_

Still smiling, Miku rubbed her head against Luka's shoulder. And to her surprise, Luka affectionately rubbed her own cheek against the teal mop of hair. The gesture filled Miku's heart with joy, and the tealette more than happily obliged. She shifted a little so she could bury the bridge of her nose into the crook of Luka's neck.

"Ee! Miku-chan!" The pinkette giggled as she clumsily wrapped her arms around Miku, pulling the girl into a tight embrace. "So cute! So adorable!"

Miku didn't mind that Luka was _still_ speaking in that baby-ish tone. On the contrary, she found it to be quite adorable. And besides, she was loving that Luka had taken some course of action. If pouring alcohol down Luka's throat was all it took to get a hug from the older girl, Miku was more than willing to stock the pink girl's room up with the stuff. She would do _anything_ to be this close to Luka…

_[I burn with love…]_

"Eto.. Nee-chans?" A voice said from above them, timidly.

The nuzzling ceased, and Miku felt Luka lift her head up. Irritated by the lack of affection, Miku turned her teal eyes up accusingly at the person who had dared to interrupt such an intimate moment.

Big, wide, innocent red eyes looked back down at her apologetically. "Gumi-nee asked me to make sure you two were okay," she explained, as she scratched her cheek sheepishly. "But I can see that you two are fine…"

Luka let out another giggle. "Miki-chaaaan! I missed you! Give me a hug!" she squealed, as if she were speaking to a baby.

Miki's eyes widened, and a faint trace of pink danced across her cheeks. "Only if you get out and dry off first, Luka-nee-chan. Okay?" she squatted down beside the giddy pinkette. "I don't have a swim suit on right now. And I can't get my clothes wet," the redhead explained.

An unhappy nod was the only reply she received from the pinkette.

"Gomen ne, Onee-chan," Miki apologized, as she gave Luka another warm smile. "How about I help you upstairs, and you can give me a hug after we get to your room, ne?" She giggled when she saw the disheartened expression vanish from Luka's face. The younger girl extended a hand out to Luka, and carefully helped the older girl out of the water. She handed a towel over to Luka, and waved at Miku.

Miku only glared at Miki. If anyone was going to take a _very_ vulnerable Luka up to her room, it should have been her!

"Ah—sorry, Miku-nee," Miki apologized immediately. She waved one hand at Miku, and grasped onto Luka's waiting hand. "Bye!"

Luka looked over her shoulder at Miku, and gave the younger girl a childish smile. "Bye-bye, Miku-chaaaaan!" She called out, stumbling a little as she walked. Thankfully, Miki caught her, and supported Luka the rest of the way upstairs.

* * *

><p>It was nearly noon the next day when Lily groaned. One arm grabbed a pillow, and tugged it over her head. She was acutely aware of the throbbing going on in her head, and it took her a while to try and figure out what had happened.<p>

She had drank. A lot. And got mad… At what? Something that was said… She was sure of that much.

But the more she tried to remember what had happened, the more the memory escaped her. Lily sighed, and yanked the blankets over her. "But I know it had something to do with Luka…" Her heart clenched and she let out another groan.

Fuck trying to think about love. This was pointless when she had a hangover.

Wait.. Love? Did she really love Luka?

_[I can't tell this little feeling to you…]_

* * *

><p>Miku sat in front of her onyx polished piano, fingers lightly tapping away at the keys. Unlike Lily, she was aware of what took place last night. From taking that first sip of wine, to Lily's drunken outburst, and to that short moment with Luka.<p>

The tealette giggled as she shifted from one melody to another.

Lowering Luka's inhibitions was easier than she expected. And hopefully, everything would work out from here. The only thing that she needed to worry about was Masuda Lily.

Miku was no idiot, and she knew that there must have been some reason behind Lily's outburst last night. Miku wasn't sure _what_ that reason was, but there was something there.

She just needed to make sure she reached Luka before Lily could take any course of action.

Maybe even say those three precious words…

_[Ah… I wanna tell this feeling to you…]_

* * *

><p>Although her head was hurting, Luka was already up and about in her bedroom. She stood in her closet, staring at the seemingly endless array of clothes. Slender fingers reached out and shuffled through the hanging clothes while she thought over what occurred last night.<p>

The more she thought about Lily getting upset, or cuddling with Miku, the more lost Luka felt.

She couldn't understand what was going on with her best friend. Lily's actions just seemed so out of character, and it was maddening for Luka to even try to comprehend the reasoning behind Lily's sudden change in behavior.

It was also maddening for to even begin to think about what she felt for Miku. All of those emotions… Did she like Miku? Love Miku? Loathe Miku? Pity Miku?

Luka wasn't sure.

And what about that time in the gameroom with Lily? What emotions were going on then?

Lust? Desire? Confusion? Longing? Repulsion? Embarrassment?

Luka was still unsure of herself.

The only thing that she felt completely positive about was the simple fact that her life had become more complicated than she had ever imagined.

_[Ah… I'm in a complex love…]_

* * *

><p><strong>Note:<strong> YES. End of chapter 9! Thanks for reading it! I hope you guys like it… I told myself I wasn't going to post a chapter today, but the idea for it was just nagging at me. Haha. So I had to put it down on paper.. digital.. paper. xD But still.

Anyway. Here's a LilyxLuka picture. Just remove the spaces.

http: / / static. desktopnexus. com/thumbnails /616583- bigthumbnail. Jpg

And a MikuxLuka picture!

http: / /kazasou. files. wordpress. com /2009/06/konachan-com- 48906-hatsune_miku-megurine_luka-vocaloid. Jpg

_To the Reviewers:_

_PaperCutVictim:_ Hahahah, I wasn't even sure what song I wanted them to play, to be honest. :P So I just played it safe and skimmed over that part… AH. Have you tried Max 300? That song is ridiculous. My legs give out every time I even attempt it. Hahah. And thanks! xD; I've been having some minor blocks when it comes to how I could build up more tension between them. So thanks for letting me know that I've been doing fine!

_Thyrokio: _Aaaah, yeah, Luka would really end up stressed out! ): Thanks for reading!

_Justa person: _Love is certainly war. For thanks! There'll definitely be more about Luka, Miku, and Lily's inner thoughts in future chapters! (:

_Meislovely: _LOL. Thanks guys! :D Glad to see that Shiro's okay after listening to "Chloe".

_LukaFan:_ ahahah. Ah, I was wondering if anyone ever thought it was weird that I was still up at 1 AM. xD But yeah, I agree with you on Twilight and all. I've read the series, but I still think it's kinda.. ridiculous. Haha. And my Miku is analytical when she feels like it's important. :P Only when something will affect her, anyway.

_Jak656:_ Thanks! I'm trying hard to keep the tension up between the three of them… Just wait until Miku and Luka figure things out. Hahaha.

_Namegoeshere: _Ah, New Zealand! That's awesome! I've always wanted to visit there. It seems like just an awesome place. But yeah.. I do update pretty fast.. I've been trying to slow down, but I keep coming up with more and more ideas. You should see my pocket notebook that I scribbled all of my ideas in. haha. It goes on and on..! Yeah.. sometimes I get confused when I'm writing about who I support more, Lily/Luka or Miku/Luka. Haha! But I support Miku/Luka more. XP And to answer your question, when I'm not in my dorm, I type parts of the story on my iPhone. And then e-mail it to myself to add to what I already have saved on my computer. Thanks for the support!

_IdrewAcow:_ (^^)b Thanks! Hahaha. After I wrote the chapter, I just knew that that had to be the title to the song. And Europe? Really? That's AWESOME!

_Major Mike Powell III: _ hahaha. Thank you, Major! :D I really appreciate your reviews! They're amusing.

.

And, yes, I love all of you. Even if you just happen to give my story a quick read, it's nice to see that people find it to be so amusing. Thank you guys so much!

I'll see you all in the next chapter!


	10. Secret Police

**Slice of Life**

**Chapter 10 – Secret Police**

YES! Chapter 10! I'm so excited to finally hit this point, and even more excited that you all have continued to support the story and myself. Arigatou gozaimasu!

Sorry I didn't post this chapter right away. I had exams to study for, and papers to write. x_x;

Anyway.. Let's get the ball rolling with another chapter!

**Disclaimer:** I don't, and probably never will, own any Vocaloids in my life time. Just a story titled "Slice of Life".

* * *

><p>"What? Are you serious?" Miki gasped, as she hugged her cherry shaped pillow tightly. She was laying on her stomach, comfortably nestled on her bed. "You really think Lily-nee…?" Although it was well into the afternoon<p>

Across from her, legs extended, sat Gumi. "Yeah, Lily-nee's an enemy now. I asked my Nii-san about it after I brought Lily-nee to her room a few days ago," she replied, sounding apathetic. In reality, the revelation that Lily was attracted to Luka bothered her in multiple ways. But now wasn't the time to think about that; and so she shook her head and gripped onto her ankles. "It's not hard to notice, if you pay close enough attention. Lily-nee looks at Luka-nee differently now," she continued. "And I think Luka-nee's started to notice the change… But from the looks of it, she doesn't quite get what's going on." A pause as the short haired girl smirked.

"We'll have to keep an eye on this new rival." When Gumi had first told Miku that it would be difficult to win Luka's heart, she had no idea an obstacle like _this _would occur. But if her hunch was correct, then Miku was indeed heading for trouble. "What do you want to do, Miku?" She turned her emerald eyes down on the tealette who was using her lap as a pillow.

Miku smiled, and shrugged up at Gumi. Hearing Gumi talk about Lily's behavior in the hot tub had not surprised her in the least. After all, she had long seen Lily as a threat to her operation. But now she had reliable proof that Lily did indeed see Luka as more than a childhood friend. "I just have to beat Lily-nee to Luka-senpai," she answered, as she shut her eyes. "There's nothing more to it."

"Miku-nee, that might be hard to do," Miki pointed out, as she put her chin on top of her pillow. "What if Luka-nee already has some feelings for Lily-nee? What will you do then?" Her voice had become soft when she spoke those words. The redhead knew they would be painful for her teal-haired onee-chan to hear, but Miki was sure that someone had to say it. And if she let _Gumi_ say it… Miki grimaced at the thought of it. Gumi would not be so nice about it.

A heavy silence hung in the air as the redhead and the green haired girl waited for a response. Both of them looked at the tealette, one anxious and afraid that they had gone too far, the other curious.

"I guess…" Miku began slowly, as she covered her eyes with slender arm.

"Miku-nee?"

"You guess, _what_, exactly?"

The tealette giggled. "I guess I'll just have to kill Lily-nee."

Miki's jaw dropped in astonishment. Her eyes widened, and she continued to stare at Miku.  
>Still smiling, Miku shifted the arm that covered her eyes slightly so she could look at the shocked readhead.<p>

Gumi snorted, and rolled her eyes. "You really are an idiot, you know that, right, Miku?" she said, as she smacked the tealette on the head. "Don't mess with Miki-chan like that."

"Ehehe, sorry, sorry," Miku apologized, as she removed her arm from her face. She offered an apologetic smile to the two who were closest to her. Gumi may be her _best_ friend, but Miku had also extended this title to the gullible redhead. When Miku wanted to hear more than just blatant honesty mixed with sarcasm, she would go to Miki. The redhead had more tact than the green haired girl, and Miku adored the fact that Miki could be so compassionate.

Miki shook her head, and laughed a little. "Oh— No! I'm sorry! I shouldn't have been so quick to believe—It'd be silly to think that you would… Well, no, it's okay," she fumbled over her words, quickly trying to cover her embarrassment. Her eyes darted away from Miku's teal ones. She glanced at Gumi, and became even more flustered at the sight of Gumi's signature smirk. "A-anyway! Shouldn't we be trying to figure out what Miku-nee could do?"

Both of the older girls looked at Miki. Gumi's smirk disappeared, and she made an "o" with her lips. "Right, right.," she agreed. Her emerald eyes looked back down at Miku. "Hey. Get off my lap. My legs are starting to feel numb."

"Eeeeh? But I'm so comfy right here!" Miku whined, as she pouted up at the short haired girl. "Five more minutes!"

"No, get off."

"Don't be so mean, Captain! Your lap makes a great pillow!"

"Don't say stupid things like that."

"But you love it when I say things like this."

"No, I don't. Now get off."

"Ano—Gumi-nee, Miku-nee," Miki interrupted, a timid smile on her face. She was familiar with this banter between her two best friends, but she really just wanted to them to pay attention to the task at hand.

"Shh, Miki-chan, I'm trying to convince Captain to stay as my pillow."

"Miku, you idiot, get off."

"No! Captain, I love your lap pillows!"

"And I love it when blood can actually circulate through my legs."

"But, but, but- I LOVE YOU!"

"I hate you. Get off."

Miki only clutched her pillow tighter as she watched this unfold before her.

"Don't lie! I know you love me! You're my best friend for life! My B-F-F-L!"

"What the hell—Stop being stupid, get off—"

"Say you love me first!"

"No."

Miki used the pillow to hide the wide smile that was forming on her face. She knew what was coming up next.

"Say it!" Miku ordered as she reached up tugged on the longer strands of green hair that framed Gumi's face with both hands

Gumi yelped, and glared at the teal haired girl. "What part of 'no', don't you understand?" She hissed back, emerald eyes narrowing. "Now let go of me."

"Just say it," the tealette insisted, having fun with this little game of theirs. She pulled on the green hair again, bringing their faces closer together. This course of action caught both Gumi and Miki by surprise.

Gumi noticed irritably that her own cheeks were becoming warm because of their sudden proximity. "Idiot, I told you to let go," she mumbled, her eyes shifting around, struggling to find a good place to look at. Miku's eyes? No. Her lips? Definitely not…. So she closed them.

Miki let out a squeal. "Ah! Gumi-nee's _blushing!_" She clapped her hands in delight. "So cute!" The redhead couldn't even remember the last time she had seen Gumi blush. Or act flustered. Slightly confused, her elated smile deflated slightly and she watched Miku and Gumi curiously. Miku's actions towards the green girl… Did this mean that Miku was attracted to Gumi _and_ Luka?  
>The thought bothered the red head a little bit, but she quickly shook the idea out of her head.<p>

"All you have to say is three little words," Miku continued to whine. "I." She pulled Gumi closer, and lifted her own head up. "Love." Noses were touching now. "You." A giggle.

The girl with the goggles on her head stiffened, and continued to glare at her best friend. "No, I refuse to-?" Gumi's eyes shot open when she felt Miku press their lips together. "Mm—Ah! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING!" she shouted once Miku pulled away. Her face was scarlet, and it had seemed that the blush had even spread to her _ears_. Flustered, irritated, and slightly confused, Gumi turned so her back was to Miku.

The tealette giggled, and sat up, releasing her grip on the green hair. "Just having some fun," she sang, winking at her best friend.

Miki gasped, eyes wide. She was not expecting that at all. "Ah, Miku-nee? I thought—You- Luka-nee—But G-Gumi-nee-?" She struggled to form a coherent sentence, her thoughts all fighting to come out from her mouth at one time. What in the world was going on?

Miku laid down on her stomach, and propped her head up in her hands. "Me and Gumi?" She asked, smiling at Miki. "No, no, don't worry!" More giggles came from her. "I just wanted to have some fun."

"FUN? YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE TRYING TO WIN OVER LUKA-NEE!" Gumi shouted, as she yanked the hood of her hoodie over her head as if this would provide some protection from her best friend's giggles.

"Oh, I know that," Miku waved a hand dismissively. "But it's just fun to tease you, because you never react like that!"

"THIS ISN'T FUNNY!"

"Ne, ne. It's okay if I did that to you, because I'm the number one princess in the world!" A bright smile was on Miku's face as she continued. "If anyone could do it, it would be me, because I know I can get away with it."

"SHUT UP. HAVE SOME SENSE OF SHAME!"

"Anyway, Miki-chan... You don't need to worry about me chasing after Gumi-chan." Another giggle, followed by a knowing wink to the red haired girl. Miku then lowered her voice to a whisper, and leaned over towards Miki. "Gumi-chan and I may have had something in the past, but I'm all for Luka-senpai now… Don't get me wrong, Gumi-chan's still a cutie! But, I think she may be over me by now. So watch out!"

She didn't know why did, but Miki blushed at this. "H-huh? I don't—O-okay…?" She buried the bottom half of her face into her cherry pillow, hiding her cheeks from the older girl.

Gumi, oblivious to their whispering, whirled back around. Her face was devoid of the red that had tinted them just moments ago. "ANYWAY," she barked, arms folded across her chest. "I have an idea to help the idiot Lieutenant." Her green eyes narrowed as she gave the tealette a glare. "It's so simple, I'm sure even Miku-chan would be able to understand this."

Miki raised her brows, curious. "Eh?"

Miku simply smiled, and nodded for the green haired girl to continue.

"I might pull the twins into this, too. They'd be good distractions for us to use," Gumi added, as she gave her close friends a devious smirk. "We'll act as a police force, secret, of course. Enforce our own set of rules. Of course, I'm the leader. You can call me Commander now." She added, her eyes glinting with pride. "The one, absolute law we have to uphold; support Miku-chan in her quest to win Luka-nee's heart."

Miku and Miki applauded, but stopped when Gumi held up a hand.

"Let me finish. Now that we know about Lily-nee, we just have to find a way to make sure that Lily-nee can't be alone with Luka-nee for too long. It'd be best to start by observing, and then taking action," the green haired girl continued. "It's simple, really. Lily-nee can't make any moves on Luka-nee if they're not always around each other. So we just keep them separated." It was obvious that she was excited by her own idea. "We're going to take control of the situation, and bring Lily-nee down."

* * *

><p>And so it had begun. Their plan, or rather Gumi's plan, had been going smoothly for a couple of weeks. Gather information here, keepy Lily away from Luka there, squeeze in some Miku and Luka time. For the most part, it seemed that they were successful in getting Luka to feel more at ease around the tealette. The older, pink haired girl was more friendly towards Miku, and did not seem to mind that the younger girl would constantly demand to spend some time together. And while Luka and Miku became better friends, closer than before, Gumi and Miki would distract Lily. Pointless errands, meaningless games, and empty conversations were forced upon Lily. Anything to divert the blonde's attention from Luka.<br>It seemed like Gumi's plan was quite the success.

The trio took it upon themselves to gather as much information as they could about Luka and Lily's past. The task was split amongst them; and for the most part, it was split between Miki and Gumi. Initially, Miku had protested to this, furiously stating that she would be able to gather information on the childhood friends straight from the pink haired woman. Gumi had then blatantly pointed out that Miku's questions would arouse suspicion, and it would be best if Miku stuck to getting closer to Luka. In the end, the tealette admitted defeat only when she had finally convinced Gumi to at least mumble "I love you, Miku ."

From what they had gathered, it would seem that Luka and Lily were truly childhood friends, having met in the early years of their primary schooling. And by some miracle, the pair was always placed into the same class. It was easy for the trio to see how Luka and Lily could have easily become best friends. And it was also easy for them to see why Lily had fallen for Luka… Miku understood this most of all.

And although Miku was told to strictly focus on Luka, the tealette couldn't help but notice how fondly Lily looked at Luka. It was impossible for her to miss. And as painful as it was to see the blonde chasing after the pinkette, Miku couldn't help but feel some sort of sympathy for the blonde. She knew that her rival was aware of how the childhood friendship may be put under the strains of love, and it saddened Miku to realize this small truth about Lily and Luka.

But despite this slightly heart wrenching fact, Miku was more determined than ever to win Luka's heart. Having Lily as a rival had given her some sense of _urgency_. If she wanted Luka, she would literally have to win Luka's heart… Have Luka choose her over an already strong bond.  
>Just the thought of having this victory excited the tealette, and ignited a competitive flame within her.<p>

But now it was well into October, with Halloween only a week away.

Needless to say, the entire Vocaloid household was in an uproar over the holiday. Most of the residents sat at the table, drowsily shoving their breakfasts into mouths or staring at their plates with weary eyes. On this particular day, no one had felt like waking up early to prepare a proper breakfast, which left everyone to either settle for a bowl of cereal, or have some toast.

The oldest of the group, Luka, sat between her two suitors, oblivious to the tensions that hung in the air between teal and gold. She happily took a bite out of her toast, and smiled warmly. Although the Secret Police was quite busy with their plans, she was completely unaware that those plans revolved around her. She simply thought that Lily had decided to take the role of being an "Onee-chan" seriously and help guide the younger Vocaloids. She had no idea that in reality, Miki and Gumi were preventing the blonde from making any advances on the pinkette.

Lily, on the other hand, had been frustrated for the past couple of weeks because of the Secret Police. It seemed like she could never find the time to talk to Luka, or even hang out alone with the pink haired girl. A scowl appeared on her face as she continued her silent musings. She put an elbow up on the table, and cupped her face in her palm. The only sort of contact that the two had was over text messages, and occasionally over webcam, which itself was ridiculous since they lived down the hall from one another. But any real physical contact? There was barely any. On occasion Lily would manage to hold Luka's gaze for a few seconds, and cause the pinkette to blush and look away from a mix of confusion and embarrassment.  
>Her irritable thoughts ceased when she realized that she had had some <em>real<em> physical contact. One night. And that night Luka came whimpering into Lily's room because of an unbearable nightmare. The pinkette had made her way into Lily's room and had crawled under the blankets. The only reason Lily had even awoken from her sleep was because her friend immediately clung to her, tightly gripping the loose fitting shirt that she had worn, and buried her face and tear filled eyes into Lily's back and blonde hair. Of course, Lily had rolled over so she was facing Luka and held her friend in a comforting hug until the pink girl had fallen asleep.

Lily's deep blue eyes glanced over at Miku, and she smirked to herself. There was no way Luka would be comfortable enough to seek the comfort from the teal girl because of something like a bad dream.

"_At least, not yet,"_ The blonde reminded herself. Her nose scrunched up and she shut her eyes.

The grouchy look on Lily's face did not go unnoticed by the self-proclaimed police force. The trio exchanged looks at one another; Gumi's usual bored expression had a hint of smugness, found by the slight twitch at the corner of her lips and the glint in her eyes. It was as if she was saying "I told you this would work" to her comrades. Miki's expression was mixed, both concerned about how Lily must be feeling, as well as a little excited to see that Miku may really have a chance with Luka. And Miku? She bit into her toast in order to hide her gleeful smile. As bad as she may have felt about Lily feeling strained in her friendship with Luka, Miku couldn't help but feel excited that Gumi's plan was going so well.

Although it was time for breakfast, it was odd that no one had spoken aside from the customary "Itadakimasu" before eating. Normally, the dining area would be filled with mild chitchat, mindless blabbering that came as a result from drowsiness. It took a full fifteen minutes before one of the girls broke the silence.

"Halloween is coming up," Miki said, before taking a sip from her glass of orange juice. Her red hair was messy since she had yet to brush it, but her trademark antennae had somehow managed to avoid the curse known as bedhead and maintained its shape through the night. The petite girl swung her legs beneath the table as she continued to speak. "If you all aren't busy, I was thinking we could go out today and look at costumes. Just for fun."

"Oh, that sounds like it'd be fun!" Miku exclaimed, nodding her head several times to show her approval.

Luka smiled a little, and nodded once. "I think that's a lovely idea, Miki-chan."

Both Lily and Gumi choked on their food. _Costumes?_

"No," Gumi said flatly, arms folded across her chest. "I refuse."  
>She didn't want to wear anything that she didn't have to. Her music videos only had her dolled up because she needed to be presentable for the video. If it were up to her, every video would be filmed in comfortable clothing.<p>

Lily beat at her chest with one fist, coughing to dislodge the food from her throat. Once she was able to, she shook her head at Miki. "Sorry, but I don't really want to go, either," she admitted, with a shrug. "Cosplay is kind of… Eh. Not my thing. Besides, aren't we all a little too old to be celebrating Halloween?"

The red head looked at the two, a look of pure disappointment painted across her angelic face. Her lips pursed together, the bottom quavering a little. The pair of red eyes that she had been blessed with were wide as they pleaded with the blonde and green haired girl.

Both girls who denied the idea instantly felt a wave of guilt fall over them.

"L-look, if you _really_ wanna go, I guess we could," Gumi mumbled in an attempt to appease the younger girl. "I don't mind that much if you're the one that wants to go."

"Yeah," Lily quickly agreed. "It's fine. We can try on costumes and have a good time. It'd be… Cool…."

At this, Miki perked up. "Ah, really!" she exclaimed, unable to contain the excitement in her voice. "Thank you so much! I promise you two will have fun!"

"And by that she means, 'You can see me in skimpy costumes and drool over how cute or sexy I might look in them,'" Miku added, with a perverted grin on her face. The grin only widened when she saw Gumi's face turn as red as a stop sign and quickly cover her nose with one hand as she looked away from the others, and saw Lily open and close her mouth incoherently.

Miki, clearly mortified by the the statement, buried her scarlet face in her hands. "M-Miku-nee!" She whined.

Beside her, Luka sighed and shook her head at the tealette's words. "Miku-chan, really, you're almost as bad as Lily-chan when it comes to these sort of things," she mused, as she finished her cup of tea.

"Hm? But it's true, Luka-senpai!" Miku giggled. She looked up at the pinkette with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "The same could be said about you."

"What?"

"I would get to see you pose in a cute maid outfit!"

"…. _What?"_

"Or even a seductive nurse. Or, or, a bunnygirl! And there's always the classic school girl uniform," Miku continued.

In an instant, Luka's cheeks became the same shade of red as Miki's hair. "Wh-wh-what! N-no! I don't—"

"A school teacher might work, too," Gumi added, as she patted the area between her upper lip and nose to make sure no blood was present. "A school girl costume would look good on Miki-chan, though—"

"G-Gumi-nee!" Miki stammered, as she peeked at the green haired girl between her fingers.

Gumi shrugged, cheeks still red. "What? I think it'd be kinda hot to see you in that—"

"Actually, I think Lu-chan would look best in—" Lily spoke over Gumi, eyes staring up at the ceiling as she contemplated what would look best on her best friend.

"Don't you dare finish that sentence—Wait! I thought I told you to stop calling me that, Lily—"

Lily ignored Luka. "Yeah, Lu-chan would definitely look best in a nekomimi, with a maid outfit."

The room became silent as Gumi, Miki and Miku imagined Luka. The pinkette in a maid costume. With cat ears and a matching tail.

Miki's face slammed onto the table as her brain was overloaded with the thought, unable to process the information that had been force upon her. Unconscious, and red faced.

Gumi gulped, and quickly looked away from Luka and Lily. Like Miki, her face was scarlet.

Miku giggled, and looked up at Luka with those eager teal eyes. "Oh my God, Lily-nee… You're totally right!" She leaned towards the object of her affection and continued to give Luka that perverted grin.

"What—No! Don't say Lily-chan's right!" Luka protested, her face flushed.

Lily laughed, and nodded. "I know I am," she replied. "The whole idea just screams 'Luka'."

The pinkette groaned, and covered her face with her hands.

"So it's agreed, then? We're gonna go look at costumes, yeah?" Lily asked. "All in favor, raise a hand."

Three hands shot up into the air. Gumi, Miku and Lily.  
>Both of Miki's hands went up despite the fact that she was unconscious. Gumi and Miku had taken it upon themselves to include Miki in the vote by raising her hands for her.<p>

Luka didn't dare take a peek to see what the verdict was. She was all too aware that she would be outnumbered.

The pinkette had a feeling that her cheeks would be permanently red by the end of this escapade.…

* * *

><p>"Miki-chan, I love you and all, but what the <em>hell!"<em> Gumi hissed under her breath at petite girl between her and a teal one, all of who were walking up to the wing of the house that held their rooms.

Miki looked up at Gumi sheepishly as she rubbed her slightly sore forehead. "I thought that if we went costume shopping, Miku-nee would be able to try on costumes and make Luka-nee-chan realize.." She paused. "Realize that her and Miku-nee were, uhm, physically compatible?"

The teal haired girl looked down at the red head, and grinned. "Ah, really?" she asked, as she laughed. "Well, thank you, Miki-chan! Because of you I could see Luka-senpai in all of those—"

"Why are you such a damn pervert?" Gumi interrupted, with a shake of her head.

Miku put her index fingers to her lips, feigning innocence. "Eh? Me? But you almost had a nosebleed from thinking about Miki-chan in a provocative costume."

Both Miki and Gumi became red in the face.

"Shut up! I didn't—Don't say such stupid things!"

"G-Gumi-nee doesn't—She isn't—It's not—Miku-nee, don't say that!"

Miku giggled, and opened her bedroom door. She waved at her friends before she went inside and shut the door behind her.

An awkward silence hung in the air between the two flabbergasted individuals standing outside of Miku's room.

Miki took it upon herself to break the silence. "Ah, G-Gumi-nee?" she asked hesitantly. "Did you really-?"

"I still need to get ready. I'll see you downstairs when we all leave," Gumi said quickly, as she nearly tripped over herself in her mad rush to escape the question.

"But—"

_Slam._ Gumi had quickly left Miki standing alone in the hallway.

"_Well, today is going to be interesting,"_ the red head thought to herself as she entered her own room.

* * *

><p>The group stepped into the store with varying emotions.<p>

Anticipation. Excitement. Eagerness. Dread.

"This way!" Miki said, as she lead the group towards the young adult section. A childish smile was plastered onto her face as she led the other girls. She was humming the melody to the upcoming, and eagerly anticipated, single sung by the Kagamine twins as she swung her arms. "I love looking at costumes! They're all so cute!" The smile on her face only widened once they reached their destination. Her tiny hands began to fly through the seemingly endless array of costumes.

Gumi had her hands in her hoodie pocket, an expression of apathy painted across her face. "Hey, you don't need to be so excited, Miki-chan," she said, as she stuck close to her junior. Anyone who dared to give Miki an odd look was at the receiving end of Gumi's deadly ones. "You're attracting too much attention."

Miku trailed behind Gumi, her usual smile plastered onto her face. "Ne, ne, Gumi-chan," she sang. "I think you just don't want people to stare at Miki-chan!"

"Shut up. Don't be stupid."

"It's only natural to feel jealous and protective," the teal haired girl continued to smile, completely ignoring the venomous edge to Gumi's voice.

Much to Gumi's relief, Miki was completely oblivious to their brief exchange of words. The petite girl was too occupied with finding costumes not only for herself, but for the other girls as well.

Desperately hoping to make it through this outing with her dignity, Luka refrained from touching any of the costumes neatly displayed. After what she had heard at breakfast, she wasn't sure if she even wanted to be in the store with this group. She wearily rubbed her temples and closed her eyes as she tried to think happy thoughts. "I really hope they don't remember anything from earlier," she mumbled to herself.

"Remember what?" Lily asked, as she put a hand on Luka's shoulder, her carefree grin wider than usual. One of her hands was gripping a hanger, which held a costume… which was slung over her shoulder without a care. "The costumes for you? Don't worry, Miki-chan's already got 'em ready for you to try on."

"Wh-what!"

"Yeah! See?" Lily jerked a thumb over her shoulder. Behind the blonde stood little Miki, arms full of costumes waiting to be donned. "And don't be embarrassed or anythin'. She pretty much found a costume for all of us."

"Already? But we've only been here for a few minutes!" Luka exclaimed, eyes wide.

Miki simply gave Luka a thumbs up. "I'm a pro when it comes to cute costumes! See?" To prove her point, she nodded her head at her two best friends standing on either side of her.  
>Both Miku and Gumi were clutching a costume or two that Miki had picked out specifically for them. Gumi looked a little embarrassed and peeved that she had been so easily swayed into trying the outfit on. On the other hand, Miku was ecstatic.<p>

Luka held back a groan. Instead of continuing to protest, she reluctantly plucked a costume from Miki's pile. "Oh, alright.. I suppose I could try on a few," she sighed, admitting defeat. "I… I'll be right back…" She turned her back on the others as she headed to the changing rooms, dreading what may occur.

"Eh—Wait, I'll go with you!" Lily said, as she began to step after Luka.  
><em>"I really just want to be the first to see you in whatever costume you've got," <em>the blonde mentally added.

But she was instantly pulled back by a forceful tug on the back of her shirt. "You can't leave us, Lily-nee-chan!" whined the smaller of her two captors.

"Miki-chan, you're 16," Lily stated. "You'll be fine by yourself. Besides, Gumi-chan's here with you, too."

"A proper Onee-san would stay with the younger kids," Gumi shot back, tightening her grip on Lily's shirt. "You can wait to try on your costume.

Lily facepalmed. "What the hell—Okay, fine, whatever.." She mumbled. "I'll stay."

The two younger Vocaloids glanced at each other, and smiled.

* * *

><p>The dressing rooms of the store were small, and quite simple. Rather than have a door, the store owner thought it would be a brilliant idea to use curtains instead.<p>

Luka stood in the small dressing room, arms stretched out in front of her. In her clutches was a costume. The classic black and white maid outfit. And the additional accessories of a cat tail and cat ears.

Nekomimi maid.

She was wondering what diety she had offended in order to be put through such an ordeal.

"Do I really need to put this on?" She sighed to herself, as she held it up against her frame. Her blue eyes looked over the reflection in the mirror, and she cringed at the thought of the jokes that she would have to suffer from Lily and possibly a perverted comment from Miku.

She shook her head and reluctantly began to undress herself. "This is ridiculous… I should have said no," she muttered to no one. "I doubt I could even pull off such a costume."  
>The pinkette stood there, half-naked, as she looked at the costume once more.<p>

"I think you'd look great in it," murmured a voice as she felt arms wrap around her waist from behind. "You look great like this, too, though."

Luka shivered from the cool touch, but her heart beat and mind began to race. She frantically looked over her shoulder, prepared to knock a potential pervert away. "Ah—M-Miku-chan?"

The tealette looked up at Luka deviously. Silently, the younger girl began to rub her nose against Luka's bare skin.

"Wh-what—How—why-?" The pinkette could not organize her thoughts into proper sentences, and she became acutely aware of the warmth on her cheeks. It was hard to think straight when Miku's touch was setting her senses into overdrive. It was as if the heat from her cheeks had spread throughout her body, and only the tealette could cool her down.

Wait. _What?_

Miku forcefully spun Luka around, and pressed the girl up against the wall of the dressing room, her expression hungry.

Luka gulped, unable to tear her eyes away from Miku's. Was it just her imagination, or was Miku getting closer and closer…

The pink haired girl shut her eyes when she felt pressure against her lips. Startled, she opened her mouth to protest—

Only to be silenced by Miku's tongue, which rubbed against her own while desperately exploring.

Luka's mind became cloudy, and she reacted instinctively. Instinctively, her lips moved against the smaller girls, timid at first. This changed quickly as Luka became overtaken with one emotion.

_Desire_.

The more intense the kiss became, the weaker Luka felt. But Miku was firm, and kept the older girl trapped between her own smaller body and the wall. The experience was completely new to Luka, and she had no idea how to handle it.

She desperately clung to Miku's shirt with both hands, trying to steady herself. She could feel Miku smile into the kiss, approving of Luka's actions.

And just like that, teal pulled away from pink.

Luka was breathless, her chest erratically rising and falling as she tried to get a hold of herself. Timidly, she opened her eyes to look down at the younger girl, and wasn't very surprised by what she saw.

Miku's face was slightly flushed, but it seemed that even the teal haired girl needed a moment to catch her breath. But the teal girl was quick to recover. With a giggle, she winked at Luka before she removed the older girl's hands from her shirt. "I think you should try your costume on now, Luka-senpai," she whispered, before slipping out of the dressing room.

The pink haired girl waited until the curtain had stopped shifting before she brought a hand up to cover her eyes.

Just what had she gotten herself into?

* * *

><p>Impatiently, Lily stood outside of the dressing room area with Gumi and Miki. She did the best she could to block out the blabbering of the younger girls.<p>

"And when the twins tried to make the pizza—"

"Wait, they really tried that?"

"Mhm! It wasn't until after they had used the road roller to flatten out the dough that they realized they didn't have an oven to bake it in," Miki giggled.

Gumi snorted, and shook her head. "What a couple of idiots—Oh." She stopped short when she noticed Miku bouncing out of the dressing room, a costume in her hands. "Miku."

Lily's blue eyes flickered over at Miku. When did Miku slip away to go to the dressing room?  
>Something about this wasn't right…<p>

The tealette looked at them and gave them one of her signature smile.

"Did you like it?" Miki asked, looking up at the teal girl with her wide eyes.

Miku laughed a little bit, and nodded. "Yes, I liked It a lot," she answered with a wink. "It was… Nice."

Things still weren't making sense to Lily. She was sure that Miku had been looking at costumes when Luka went to the dressing room.  
>Or... Was she even sure she saw Miku looking at costumes?<br>Lily's thought process slowed down.  
>If Miku wasn't looking at costumes—No. She must have been. Lily would have noticed if Miku had left the group. It was like Gumi had said. A proper Onee-san would stay and watch the younger kids…. But maybe she had missed Miku leave?<p>

Her thoughts were interrupted by another snort from Gumi.

"Of course you did," the short haired girl remarked. "You're into that kind of stuff after all."

A giggle came from the teal girl, who merely shrugged.

"I'm glad you liked it! I knew you would have fun—Love the costume," Miki said quickly.

Lily blinked. She looked at Gumi. Then Miku… And then Miki.  
>Miki, who seemed a little <em>too<em> eager to hear about Miku and the costume. Miki, who had caught herself and was quick to correct herself.  
>Interesting…<br>But something about this was setting off bells in the blonde's mind. She frowned a little bit, and silently slipped away from the trio, heading into the dressing room area.

What was it that Miku would have fun with? Lily needed to find this out for herself.  
>And she had a sickening hunch about what those words might have implied.<p>

"Luka?" She called out once she was safely inside the dressing area.

A soft sound came in response. Almost like the soft mewing of a kitten.

The blonde felt her chest clench at the sound, guessing at what had happened. The blonde headed towards the sound. The short search had led her to the only dressing room with the curtain drawn to a close. A deep breath was taken as she braced herself for what she would see behind the curtain.

One hand drew the curtain back, and she exhaled sharply.

Her best friend sat on the floor of the room, knees drawn to her chest. Her best friend had her face buried in her arms. Her best friend's shoulders were quickly rising and falling.

Lily shut the curtain behind her and sat down beside the other girl. She wrapped her arms around the pink girl, unsurprised that Luka was quick to cry into her shoulder.

Luka was overwhelmed with what had occurred. She had no idea what to think or do, and had no outlet for the stress that she had been feeling. So she cried.

* * *

><p><strong>Note: <strong>It's 2:50 AM right now, and I just finished chapter 10. I should be sleeping, but I don't regret staying up to write this.

But I'm really tired… So excuse any mistakes that may be coming up as I reply to the reviewers xD;

_To the reviewers: _

_Meislovely: _ahahahah. XD Thanks guys! Shiro, don't drink too much. Kuro… Good job with taking the keys. I approve of this course of action!

_LukaFan:_ Thanks! Ahahah, it's funny that you say that Lily acts like your brother, because I based her behavior (for the gaming part) on how my brother acts when he plays Call of Duty. xD But MAAAAN. I'm glad you enjoy the story! :D Thanks for your support!

_Jak656:_ heeheheh I'm sure you and Kaito would get along just fine, then! :P But really, Miku would take advantage of any situation xD. Thanks!

_Lovecakes98:_ I've wanted to write the Jacuzzi scene for a while now. And I'm glad I finally found a chance to use it. Haha! But yes, youre right. Miku does take advantage of several situations. And I agree about the meaning to Wine Berry.. It really strikes me as a Yuri song… xD

_PaperCutVictim:_ xOx Yeah, man. I know what you mean about those songs. They're just too hard core for me. I end up losing because of those songs, too. Hahaha. And thanks! I'm really happy you enjoy my story as much as I enjoy yours! Haha (:

_Justa person:_ Drunk scenes are always fun to write and read about! (^o^)b Thanks for your support!

_IdrewAcow:_ Yeah, the love triangle is getting to be… very complicated. Hahaha. You won't believe the notes I have about it written in my idea notebook, too.. :P I want to travel to Europe.. England, France, and Spain specifically. But Germany is on my list of countries to see, too!

_Toolazytolog_: Can I just say that I honestly laughed when I saw the (anonymous) username? It made my day! But thank you for your support! :D Did you just recently find my story?

.

AHHH. I should get some sleep now. It's 2:56 AM.

I love you guys. Thank you all for reading and supporting my story. Your reviews are always fun to read, and they make my day that much better.

Goodnight everyone! Take care!

See you in the next chapter!


	11. White Lily Basket

**Slice of Life**

**Chapter 11 – White Lily Basket**

Ah, man. I'm sorry for the sudden delays with my updates… ): I've just been busy with school and insomnia… But it seems that I do my best works late at night, anyway, since I can't sleep. xD;

This chapter's song is a duet between Luka and Lily. Recently found it. Currently have it on repeat. (:

Let's continue right where we left off, shall we?

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own any of these Vocaloids and such. I only created this story.

* * *

><p>The members of the Secret Police stood in the middle of the aisle of the store, costumes still in hand. Two were trying to convince their self-proclaimed commander to try on at least one costume.<p>

"Gumi-nee! You'd look so cute in it!" Furukawa Miki squealed, as she held up the packaged outfit in front of the green girl's face. "A sailor uniform!" The picture on the front of the clear plastic depicted a young woman dressed in the familiar navy blue and white outfit. "It's not that much different from a school uniform," the younger girl pressed on. "Just.. The skirt is.. Uhm… Yeah. And the top is more low.. Cut."

Gumi glared at the smiling woman in the picture, her eyes narrowed. "No."

"Ooookaaaay…" Miki tossed the costume over her shoulder. Forget putting it away. She was determined to get _everyone_ to try on at least one costume while they were in the store. "How about this?" She was quick to pull another costume off of a rack beside them. The smile on her face was wide and filled with hope as she held the costume up against Gumi's body. It was, for the most part, a simple costume. "Ah! Perfect! Try it on, please, please, _please!"_

"No."

"Mou, Gumi-chan," Miku giggled. "I think it would look great on you."

"I said 'no', Miku."

"Gumi-nee, please!"

"Absolutely not, Miki-chan."

Miki sighed in defeat. She looked at Miku helplessly, silently pleading for the tealette to help her convince Gumi into at least _considering_ trying the costume on.

"Just for a second, Gumi-chan! Trying it on won't kill you, you know."

"I don't care. 'No' means 'no'." The green haired girl narrowed her eyes at Miku.

"Why are you so stubborn?"

"Because I refuse to wear something as ridiculous as that."

"Mou, maybe if I gave you a kiss—"

"Shut up, that won't do anything."

Miku took a step towards Gumi, her usual angelic smile still plastered onto her face. "Then try the costume on!" She took the hanger from Miki's hands, and waved it in front of Gumi's face. "I promise you'll be absolutely adorable in this!"

"I don't want to look adorable!" Gumi snapped back, as she pushed Miku's hand and the costume out of her face. She didn't want to look at it anymore. That figure-hugging white dress that was scandalously short… The flowing sleeves that hung off from the shoulders… And those obscenely fluffy, feathery, white wings... And to top it all off, she would have to wear a _halo_ with the costume! Ridiculous.

The tealette, who could be just as stubborn as her best friend, put her face in front of Gumi's. The smile she had previously worn was replaced by a pout. "Mou,Gumi-chaaaan!" She whined. "Put it on! You'd be the prettiest angel—D'WAH!"

_Slap._

A rather nice, dark, handprint was left on Miku's cheek. The one who had laid said hand upon her folded their arms across their chest, a scowl on their face. " 'No'. Means. 'No.'" Gumi continued to glower at the teal girl with merciless eyes. There was no way in hell she would wear that angel costume. _Especially_ since both Miku _and_ Miki would be there to bear witness to a landmark event.  
>The thought of having Miki squeal in delight and Miku wear a cheeky grin was more than she could bear. Thinking about the costume was just pissing her off.<p>

"Ow, okay.. I get it," Miku conceded, hands held up in front of her as if to admit defeat. "You don't want to wear the angel costume because you aren't as innocent as your fans may think you are."

"… Sorry, what was that?"

"You're obviously the devil girl type!" The tealette continued. She gave Gumi a thumbs up with one hand while putting on a cheeky grin. "Clearly, the fans are unaware of how dominating you are! They have no idea that you like to get rough and bite—OW!"

A hard hit to the head.

Miki looked at her older friends, a worried expression on her face. "G-Gumi-nee—"

"STOP TALKING! HOW CAN YOU SAY THINGS LIKE THAT SO NONCHALANTLY!" Gumi roared, her hand still clenched into a fist. Her emerald eyes were ablaze with the fury that she felt. She grabbed onto the collar of Miku's shirt, and shook the other girl senseless. "NEVER. SPEAK. OF. SUCH. MORONIC. THINGS!"  
>This ruthless act of aggression trigged by embarrassment and rage was not pacified by the response that she received.<p>

Hatsune Miku was giggling.  
>"Ne, ne, Gumi-chan! You can't hide from the past—"<p>

"I SAID SHUT UP!"

"Ah—Gumi-nee bites?" Miki asked innocently, her red eyes wide at the thought.

Gumi stopped shaking Miku. Her face became red as she turned her emerald eyes onto Miki. Then back at the cheekily grinning Miku. "SEE WHAT YOU DID? NOW SHE THINKS I'M SOME KIND OF DAMN PERVERT—"

"You're not one?"

"NO! I'M NOT!"

"So you're just sadistic. You like to inflict pain and all—"

"SHUT UP. JUST.. I HATE YOU!" Gumi continued to shake Miku. "I HATE YOU SO MUCH!"

"No, you don't!"

"I DO!" The angry girl no longer cared about how much attention they were gathering. She was focused on destroying the teal haired girl that was in her clutches. "THERE'S SO MUCH HATE IN MY HEART WHEN IT COMES TO YOU, THAT IT MAKES ME WANT TO STRANGLE YOU!"

"Oh, that's so.. So… Sadistic!" A gasp, followed by a giggle.

"**SHUT. UP!**"

Furukawa Miki watched, and she shook her head at the sight of her two friends. But she knew she was in no position to stop them. Somehow her words would be misinterpreted and would add fuel to the fire. So she merely stood back and watched, waiting for Gumi to calm down.  
>While waiting, she couldn't help but let her eyes wander. They looked over the various costumes that the aisle held, and she mentally categorized who would look good in what costume. But after a few seconds of this, she realized something important.<p>

The red ahoge bounced ontop of Miki's head as she put a pacifying hand on Gumi's shoulder. "Ano, Gumi-nee, Miku-nee?"

"Yes, Miki-chan?"

"WHAT!"

Miki let out a whimper at Gumi's harsh response. She gave the green haired girl a startled and someone hurt expression.

Gumi's expression faltered. "Shit—Sorry, sorry," She mumbled quickly, releasing one hand to cover her face in shame. "What is it?"

"Wh-where's Lily-nee-chan?" asked the red head. "She.. She disappeared…"

Silence.

The grip on Miku's shirt slackened a little as the commander processed Miki's question. "Wait, wait, did you just ask-?" Her green eyes darted around the aisle in search of the tall blonde.  
>It would seem that Miki was right. Lily was nowhere to be seen.<p>

"Uhm, y-yes?" Miki stammered, hoping that Gumi would not snap at her once more.

"_Shit!_" Gumi groaned. "Where the hell did she go?"

Miku giggled, and shrugged. She pried Gumi's hand off of her shirt, lifting each of Gumi's green polished fingers with her own teal ones. "It doesn't matter where Lily-nee may have gone," she stated.  
>The smile on her face was a knowing one, filled with hints of mischief.<p>

Both Gumi and Miki stared at the smiling tealette.

"How the hell does it not matter?" Gumi snapped, as she shook her hand away from Miku. Her index finger extended, she jabbed at Miku's shoulder. "For all we know, she could be in there with Luka-nee!"

"That's okay," Miku continued to smile at her best friend. "Because I've already left my mark on Luka-senpai." The blank stares that instantly took over Gumi and Miki's faces were, in her opinion, priceless.

"WHAT!"

"M-Miku-nee! In a dressing room-?"

"BACK UP!" Gumi held up her hand to Miku's face, mimicking a traffic officer's command for 'stop'. "What _exactly_ do you mean by that, huh!"

The tealette winked at her friends, and brought one polished finger to her lips. "I don't kiss and tell, ladies," she sang.

"You damn liar. You told everyone in the house when you and I—"

"G-Gumi-nee, that story was true?"

"…Shit."

Miku giggled.

* * *

><p>Lily wasn't sure how long they had been sitting there, hiding within the confines of the dressing room. Her legs were stretched out while she sat on the floor, arms wrapped around the broken girl. It had seemed like they were sitting there for ages, the blonde offering her shoulder as a pillow for the pink haired girl to cry into. Although the position was uncomfortable, Lily didn't mind it. It was something that Luka needed, and Lily was more than willing to provide silent comfort.<p>

While waiting for her friends sobs to quiet down, Lily remained diligent in her actions, repeatedly stroking the other girl's hair. Her other hand was wrapped around Luka in a tight embrace. She would occasionally mutter quiet words of comfort. As generic as a "it's okay" or "don't worry" may be, the blonde knew it would help calm the pink haired girl down.  
>Of course, Lily had a very good idea of how things may have reached this point. It was clear to her that Miku may have pushed Luka beyond her comfort zone. And that was unforgivable. There was going to be some justice dealt out Miku's way. She wasn't sure what she would do, but this act would not go unpunished.<p>

Her deep blue eyes narrowed as she looked up at the ceiling, lost in thought. What could she do to hurt Miku...  
>The corners of her mouth twitched into a minute smile as she thought of the twins and their beloved road roller.<p>

The Kagamines may not have been able to make the world's largest pizza, but maybe they could make the first teal human pancake.  
>It seemed reasonable.<br>Luka cried, so Miku would be flattened.

The girl in her arms shuddered, jolting Lily from her silent plotting.

"Thank you, Lily," Luka whispered, her soft voice already muffled by the blonde's tear soaked shirt.

"Uh- y-yeah, no problem," Lily stammered, as she looked away from Luka, cheeks a faint pink.

The somewhat calmer pink haired girl inhaled slowly, still shaking as she did so. Her hands were still clutching Lily's shirt tightly, the cloth balled up in her hands.  
>It had been a long time since she had last cried, and she was well aware of how panicked Lily may have been when she was found sobbing on the floor.<p>

It was all a blur to Luka, though. The day's events had melted together; and it was hard for her to even think straight. Miku had kissed her- no, it was more than a kiss. The stakes were raised, and so were the expectations.  
>Luka had kissed Miku back, even going as far as to use her own tongue. Just the thought of this action brought a new wave of emotions that washed over the pink haired girl. She felt like she was drowning, unable to orient herself within the storm that was known as her emotions.<p>

It was simply unbearable. Luka had no idea where to even begin when it came to these foreign feelings. That rush of desire. No, it was more than that now. It was a need.  
>She needed more of the teal haired girl in that brief moment.<br>Luka was sure of at least that much, seeing how she pulled the other girl closer by clinging to the teal girl's shirt. It was as if all of her senses were thrust into overdrive during that brief exchange, and the only way to put a lot to the fire that she felt was to get more of Miku.

And the thought scared her and confused her. Not because she was afraid to like a girl. Oh no, Luka had never been homophobic in the least.  
>She felt lost because it was not the first time that she had felt that feeling of need.<p>

Luka had felt it three times before, twice when Miku had stolen a kiss.

The third when she was alone with Lily on the couch all those weeks ago. Thinking about the two of them in such a compromising... Such an intimate position...

She was confused. It was all too clear to her now. Now Lily's strange behavior over the past few weeks suddenly became crystal clear.  
>Lily loved her.<p>

And Miku… Miku could possibly love her as well.

But now…

Now, what should she do if she felt that way about both Lily and Miku?  
>Did she even <em>love<em> Lily or Miku? Was she confusing lust with love?  
>Who could she talk to? Lily? No, she couldn't talk to Lily about this now… Right?<p>

So… Did she love Miku? No, that wasn't possible. It couldn't be.  
>But what if she had fallen in love with Miku's sporadic tendencies and bubbly personality?<p>

And Lily. Oh, God, Lily. Could she really have fallen in love with her best friend?

Luka sighed, and looked up at her blonde friend. Her childhood friend. Her best friend…  
>Lily was the piece of foundation that she had relied on for all of these years. As they grew older, Luka felt safer knowing that Lily would always be there for her. If anything went wrong, Luka knew she would be able to go back to the blonde for comfort or reassurance. So what would happen now that there were strong emotions tied into this friendship?<br>The bond between them was entirely different now. It was not a simple childhood friendship, a pure, innocent bond.

And Luka was well aware of what would happen should she choose Miku over Lily. Their friendship may become irreparable as a result of a broken heart.

Sensing that Luka was ready to speak, Lily looked at her friend with a sidelong glance. "You gonna be okay?" the blonde asked, turning her head to look at the tear-stained face.

A nod, followed by a shaky inhale and exhale. "Y-yes, I think so," Luka answered, closing her eyes.  
>She gently set her head down on Lily's shoulder, and slackened her grip on the shirt. "Thank you for staying with me..."<p>

"Yeah, like I said. It's no problem," Lily replied, as she shrugged her free shoulder. "There's no way I could leave you like that."

Luka smiled to herself, and buried her face into Lily's shirt. "I'm glad I have you," she said, peeking up at Lily with one of her light blue eyes. "You really are my best friend. The very best."

The faint pink that was on Lily's cheeks quickly deepened in color. "What- Yeah, yeah, I know," Lily said quickly. "You tell me that all the time, ya know."

"I say it because it's true."

"Well... Thanks," Lily shrugged once again. She put released Luka from the embrace, and put palms onto the floor of the dressing room. "Since you're all better, I'll let ya get dressed, 'kay? We can talk about what happened later, when we get the chance- eh?"

Lily's eyes widened a little, and she stiffened a bit.

The girl who was once crying was hugging her tightly, and her face remained buried deep into Lily's shoulder. It was impossible for the blonde to leave now. Luka had buried her nose deeper into Lily's shoulder, inhaling more of the other girl's perfume.

A faint mumble could be heard, and Lily felt the sound waves that came from Luka's mouth vibrate against her shirt and shoulder.

"What? I can't understand you," Lily frowned a little bit as she reached around to try and pry off the other girl.

"Don't leave," Luka repeated herself. "I don't want you to ever leave me alone…"

* * *

><p>The red head let out a whimper, and tugged on the sleeve Gumi's hoodie. "Gumi-nee!" she whined. "Why won't you tell me what happened with you and Miku-nee?"<p>

Gumi could feel her eye twitch when she was asked the question. With a flick of her arm, she yanked the cloth out of Miki's grip. The green haired girl was hoping that Miki would have dropped the topic by now. Especially since Gumi had initially stormed out of the costume shop after being told by a store clerk that she disturbing the other customers. She had left Miki and Miku behind, thinking that they would go find Lily and continue the work of the police force, but it would seem that she was horribly mistaken.

Miku had merely laughed as Gumi stormed out. She had followed the green haired girl out of the store, and immediately hopped into a taxi to take back to the mansion, much to Gumi's surprise. It seemed like Miku wasn't worried about leaving Luka alone with Lily in the slightest, and that was something that was bothering the commander of the police force. There was no reason for the tealette to feel comfortable about leaving the pinkette with her competition. But Miku seemed so sure of herself… It was as if Miku knew that Luka would come to her, no matter what happened. And so Gumi had asked Miku about it before the teal girl shut the door to the taxi.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Gumi snapped, as she forced the door of the cab to remain open. "Why would you leave Luka-nee with Lily-nee?"

The tealette simply gave Gumi another unreadable smile. "Because I know she feels something for me," Miku explained, as she crossed one leg over the other. "There's no turning back for her now. Luka-senpai knows that there's something between us now, and she can't deny it anymore." And, much to Gumi's annoyance, the other girl winked up at her. "Have fun walking up with Miki-chaaaan!"

Gumi clearly remembered her eye twitching at this statement before she unceremoniously slammed the door shut.

And what did Miki do once Gumi stormed away from the store and the taxi? The petite girl followed Gumi, looking as worried as ever, save for the curious glint in her eyes.

Which brought them to the present.

"Miki-chan, seriously, shut up," Gumi growled, as she yanked the hood of her baggy, black hoodie over her head. From the pocket pouch of the hoodie, she withdrew a pair of orange Ray-Ban Wayfarer sunglasses. Today she had left her trademark pair of red-orange goggles, but only because she was too recognizable with them on. They had gone out to a public store, after all, and she was trying to keep a somewhat low profile.  
>The sounds of screaming fanboys and fangirls seriously pissed her off some days.<p>

"But, I just want to know," Miki pressed on, as she fell in step with her senpai. "What's the harm in knowing?" Unlike Gumi, who preferred to wear clothing that might better obscure her famous features, Miki had given up on trying to hide. She had simply thrown her long, red hair up into a ponytail, tugged a baseball cap on her head, and called it a day. Her clothes, in her opinion, were subtle enough. A navy blue and red plaid button-down, unbuttoned to reveal the white camisole beneath, dark denim wash skinny jeans, and a pair of red Chuck Taylor All-Star Converses… Average teenage clothes, she reasoned.

"Look, it's none of your business, so just drop it," Gumi's tone was icy now, her emerald eyes narrowing into slits behind those heavily tinted sunglass lenses. Irritated, she shoved her hands into her pockets. Her personal history with Miku had always been a touchy subject. Having Miki pry into it was definitely an un-welcome gesture.

Miki linked arms with Gumi, and offered the green haired girl a warm smile. "Gumi-nee, _gomen ne,_" she sincerely apologized. "I suppose I got a little carried away. I was just curious."

"Yeah, well, curiosity killed the damn cat."

"I know," Miki replied sheepishly. She scratched her cheek with her free hand, the smile still plastered onto her face. Hesitantly, she leaned against Gumi's arm, enjoying the comfort and warmth that the black, hoodie-clad girl seemed to unwillingly offer to her.

The pair walked in silence, arms still linked together. It was neither uncomfortable nor awkward, but rather, a pleasant silence. Miki's presence always offered Gumi a peace of mind, as if the red haired girl were a sedative to Gumi's natural snarky and calculating personality.  
>As they walked, the buildings surrounding them became less dominant. Large buildings were replaced with the humble homes of the rich and famous, each taking up a large sum of land. Up ahead they could see the gates that closed their driveway, the large, ornate "V" located the center of the wrought-iron gates.<p>

Gumi sighed, and slipped her arm away from Miki. "Look, Miki-chan," she began, a slight frown on her face. "Don't ask me about Miku again."

"Hm?" Miki looked up at Gumi, confusion clearly displayed on her innocent face.

"It's.. Painful. Things between Miku and I are still complicated," the green haired girl tried to explain, her frown morphing into an expression of remorse.

The red haired girl was quiet for a moment, contemplating those words. "Do you… Still have feelings for Miku-nee?" she asked, hesitantly, afraid to hear the answer to her question.

The mouth beneath the black hood opened and closed.

_Rumble.. rumble…._

The mouth opened once more. "The fuck is that?" Gumi asked, as she pushed the sunglasses up and on top of her mop of green hair. Her hood had fallen back, due to the sudden vibration in the pavement beneath her feet.

"Earth quake—"

"THAT'S THE FUCKING ROAD ROLLER!" Gumi shouted, as she grabbed Miki's hand and began to run away from the mansion. She pulled the 16 year old onto another street, and gasped for air. "Holy shit-…. What the fuck is going on?"  
>The pair watched as two yellow bullets came speeding out from the mansion's grounds.<p>

With a deafening screech, and groans from the metal gates, the yellow road roller plowed onto the main road. The driver, a furious brunette, was currently hunting down the pair of blondes that had escaped her clutches.

"YOU PSYCHOTIC LITTLE ASSES!" Meiko screamed, as she steered the road roller into the direction of Kagamine Rin and Len. "GET BACK HERE SO I CAN MAKE YOU INTO A PANCAKE!"

Rin, her hand clutching onto her brothers, was laughing as she ran, and in her free hand was a video camera. Said camera was playing a recording, which was causing it's owner to laugh uncontrollably. Tears were beginning to form in the corners of her eyes, and she was sure that if Meiko didn't kill her, laughing would do her in. A few steps ahead of her was Len, practically dragging his older sister behind him. Unlike his twin, there was no gleeful expression painted onto his face. Instead of being amused by their prank, he was horrified of what may happen to him should he trip and fall.

"Nee-chan!" Len shouted over the deafening roar of the road roller's powerful engine. "I _told_ you it was a bad idea to put that camera in Meiko-nee-san's room!"

"I—hehehe—Don't- ehehehe—CARE!" Rin was gasping for air. Speaking, laughing and running was something that the body was not made to do simultaneously. "Meiko-nee-san- And Kaito-nii-san… They- So awkward- Drunk sex!"

Her incoherent sentences were all too clear to her younger brother. Admittedly, he wasn't expecting to see a video of anything but Meiko throwing her guts up after a drinking binge…. But it had turned out that their blue-haired roommate had snuck into Meiko's quarters… And the two had a sleepless night.

"GIVE ME THAT VIDEO CAMERA! OR SO HELP ME, I WILL FLATTEN YOU, RESURRECT YOU FROM THE DEAD, AND KILL YOU AGAIN!"

"NEE-CHAN, GIVE HER THE VIDEO CAMERA!"

"NO WAY, LEN-KUN! THIS IS PRICELESS!"

Both Gumi and Miki looked at one another. After looking at one another in silence for a second, they both shrugged, and headed up the driveway to the mansion now that the road was clear.  
>"Everyone in this house is out of their damn mind," Gumi stated, as she slipped her Ray-Ban's back on.<br>Miki could only nod in agreement. As much as she adored the twins, she was not about to take a flattening from a road roller for them.

* * *

><p>Luka wasn't sure why she was forcing Lily to stay in the dressing room with her. All the two had done for the past half hour was sit there in silence. She was actually surprised that no one had come back to check on them at this point; but then again, the girl who had shown her to her "room" had recognized her to be <em>the Megurine Luka<em>… So maybe that was why they were able to stay in the dressing room for as long as they pleased.

"Lu-chan," Lily sighed, breaking the heavy silence that had fallen between them. "This is really freakin' uncomfortable. Can we get off the floor now?"

"N-no…"

"Why?"

"Because I just want to hug you right now," Luka mumbled, her face still buried into Lily's shirt. She couldn't help it. Lily just had an intoxicating smell. So familiar and inviting…

The blonde was thankful that the pinkette could not see the blush that continued to dance upon her cheeks. "Seriously? You sound like a little kid. It's time to get up."

"But—"

"You're not even dressed yet, koneko-chan," the blonde pointed out, a smirk on her face. "Are you trying to seduce me or something?" It was meant to be a joke, but it was clear to the two of them that more was implied.

At this, Luka pulled her face out of Lily's shirt. "N-no!" she stammered out in protest. "Absolutely not! Don't be ridiculous—"

"It seems that way."

"I would never—"

"You're still sitting in your underwear."

"That's because-"

"And by the way, you're on my lap. In your under wear."

"If Miku-chan hadn't-….. OHMYGOD!" Luka jumped to her feet, her face completely scarlet.

Lily snickered at the sight of her flustered friend. Her deep blue eyes were filled with amusement as she gave Luka a lopsided grin. "So are you gonna get dressed or—"

"Sh-shut up, baka koinu! Don't look!"

"Whatever you say, koneko-chan," the blonde sang.

Flustered, Luka grabbed her clothes off of floor. She turned her back to Lily, and hastily tugged the clothes back on.  
>Black skirt? Check.<br>Black Stockings that went up halfway up her thighs? Check.  
>White blouse? Check.<p>

She quickly pressed out any of the creases that may have been on her blouse before looking back to where Lily was sitting.

To her surprise, Lily was absentmindedly looking at her own finger nails as if they were they were the most interesting thing in the world.

Except...

"Lily-chan," Luka said slowly, covering her eyes with one hand.

"Yeah?"

"Please wipe your nose..."

The blonde blinked a few times, a puzzled expression on her face. Carefully, the blonde touched the area just above her lip, and was surprised to feel a warm liquid flowing slowly, but steadily, from her nose.

"Oh- fuck..." Lily quickly dug her handkerchief from her pocket and wiped the blood away.

Luka sighed and shook her head. "I can't believe you..."

The blonde shrugged, her lopsided grin now cheeky. "I can't really help it when you look like that," she rebutted. Lily pushed herself up, and shoved her thumbs into the front pockets of her jeans.

The pinkette blushed, and folded her arms across her chest as if this would offer her some protection. "B-baka koinu..." she mumbled, as she avoided making eye contact with the stupid puppy.

Lily laughed, and pulled back the curtain that served as the dressing room door. "Yeah, yeah," she said dismissively, stepping out of the small fitting room. "I'm gonna go see if everyone's still-... What is it now?" The back of her shirt was being gripped on, and Luka forcefully pulled Lily back into the dressing room.

"W-we need to talk," Luka stammered, her eyes focused on the floor.

"Can't it wait, koneko-chan?"

The curtain was drawn closed, and Lily's face became as red as a tomato. The other girl had thrown her arms around Lily's torso, and buried her face into her shirt once more.

"I-... I figured it out," the pinkette mumbled into the cotton shirt.

"Uh... What the hell are you talking about?"

"I figured it out," Luka repeated. "I'm so sorry. I must have been hurting you this whole time... For you to have feelings for me while I'm trying to figure things out with Miku-chan..."

The blonde stiffened. She put her hands on Luka's shoulders, and tried to push the girl off of her. "Wh- you must've hit your head or something," she said quickly, desperate to escape the quickly suffocating atmosphere.

Luka only tightened her embrace. Her light blue eyes looked at her friend, and a slight frown marred her face. "Lily, look at me." There was no hint of amusement in her voice, none of her usual cool composure.

Lily looked at Luka, light blue meeting deep, oceanic blue. "What?"

"Tell me you don't love me, and I'll let go," the pinkette stated, completely serious.

"That's- why're you being so stupid, eh, Lu-chan?" a nervous laugh escaped her as she tried to pry Luka off of her once more.

Luka kept Lily locked firmly in her arms. Her light blue eyes shown with determination as she waited for the blonde to face facts.

"Let go, Luka.."

"Tell me the truth first."

Teeth clenched, Lily stubbornly turned her head away from her best friend, refusing to go on with this. "There's nothing to tell you. You must've hit your head or something-"

"Miku-chan kissed me."

"..."

"I-... I kissed her back," Luka stammered on. "And- there- we-" Her face suddenly became red. "Tongue..."

"... Tongue?" Masuda Lily's attention had been captured. Her deep blue eyes looked back into Luka's lighter ones.

The other girl nodded, never breaking their gaze.

"You and Miku-"

"Y-yes!" Luka frowned. "That's why- I just- I'm confused! I think that I might even love her!"

The blonde became painfully aware of a sudden clenching in her chest. ".. Is that so? Well, goodie for you. I bet Miku-chan'll be excited," she said, unable to hide the hurt and bitterness in her voice.

"B-but... There's more to it..." A panicked expression flashed across Luka's face. The pinkette hugged Lily tighter, and shook her head quickly. "Lily, there's also you," she added with a whisper. "Y-you love me, don't you? I know you do.."

Lily shrugged.  
>She suddenly wanted to run as far away as she could from Luka.<p>

"You do... And..." The pinkette took a deep breath. "I think I feel so confused because... Because..."  
>Luka became nervous, her blue eyes desperately trying to read Lily's expression. "Because I think I like you, too..."<p>

"... Eh?" Lily's eyes widened, and her face became bright red. "Are you on crack? Do you hear what you're saying?"

Luka frowned. "Sh-shut up! I'm trying to be- to be serious!" she put her nose to Lily's and sighed. It had never occurred to her that tat they were both the same height.

The red on the blonde's face only deepened in color. "Maybe you've got a cold- yeah, a fever!" Lily was desperately grasping at straws, unwilling to admit that Luka was right.

"No... I don't," the pinkette replied. There was some hesitation before she spoke again. "I- I think I know how to figure out if I like you the way I like M-Miku-chan..."

"Yeah?" Lily couldn't help but snort skeptically. "I doubt there's a way for you to figure that out right now."

The pinkette inhaled shakily. "K-kiss me."

"... Holy fuck, you must be on crack or something!"

"J-just do it!"

"Uh, no."

"L-lily!"

"..."

"Just do it-!" Luka's order was interrupted by the set of lips that was suddenly pressed against hers.

Lily may have been trying to worm herself out of this awkward, painful, conversation...  
>But Luka had told her to kiss her.<p>

Heartbeats quickened.  
>Luka could feel it. In this close proximity, she could feel their heartbeats through their clothes.<br>She shut her eyes, and slowly kissed Lily back.

The blonde hesitated for a moment. Should they really be doing this?

Whatever. She was going to enjoy this moment for as long as she could.  
>She flicked her tongue across the pinkette's lips, impatiently demanding entrance.<p>

Luka clutched the back of Lily's shirt, the cloth balled up in her fists. She gasped at the sudden movement-

Which the blonde took full advantage of. Her tongue entered Luka's mouth, and began to explore the new area in a frenzy.  
>Masuda Lily was no stranger to the art of french kissing. And she was quick to teach Luka the proper techniques by example.<p>

And by now Luka was more than sure about her feelings for Lily. She was right; she was attracted to both the teal and the blonde girl.

But at the moment, the desire she felt was focused solely on the commanding blonde. Her tongue followed Lily's, mimicking her movements.  
>This was different from what she had experienced with Miku. The younger girl was aggressive, bending Luka to follow her will. But Lily…<br>Lily was a little more gentle, and Luka found this to be quite pleasurable-

Lily pulled away from Luka, her face flushed. The look on the blonde's face was unreadable.

Luka could only look back at her friend with a flustered expression. "Wh-what-?"

The blonde put her nose to Luka's neck and inhaled. She then opened her mouth and bit down on the tender flesh, causing the other girl to yelp in surprise.

Immediately, Lily slipped away from Luka. The blonde avoided making eye contact as she turned away from the pinkette. Drawing open the curtain, she stepped out of the dressing room.

"I'm not going to let Miku get to you," Lily said with steely determination in her voice. She looked over her shoulder and gave Luka a lopsided grin. "I can't leave my kitten to someone who makes them cry." She laughed, and left the dressing area. "I'm gonna head home, then, Lu-chan. I think you'll be able to get home by yourself, yeah? We both need a second to ourselves."

Luka could only nod, still flustered over the bitemark that was now located at the base of her neck.

Lily exited the store and began the walk home.

And in the dressing room, Luka felt even more confused.  
>She was sure she had just made things worse… That was certain. One of her fingers trailed along her overstimulated lips, her breathing still a little erratic.<p>

The pinkette closed her eyes, and leaned against the wall of the dressing room. She had made-out twice now, once with Miku and once with Lily. And each time, they had all acted more on instinct and a torrent of sudden emotions.

All of their reasoning had melted away…  
>Their hearts had all melted in ecstasy…<p>

And there was no going back now.

* * *

><p>"Move over, Len-kun!" Rin hissed, her order barely over a whisper. She shoved her younger brother as she tried to completely hide herself.<p>

"I can't!"

The twins were cramped underneath a pick-up truck. It was their only place of refuge from their angry Onee-san and the road roller. The angry brunette had chased them down to the end of their neighborhood, and the twins had been unable to find a place to hide, save for the truck parked in the street. Naturally, they had simultaneously dived beneath it.

"I told you that was a bad idea," Len muttered, as the ground to began to shake.

"It was worth it!" Rin shot back. The ground continued to rumble, signaling the incoming road roller. "We could make millions off of this tape!"

"We're already rich."

"Oh yeah..."

The rumbling stopped.  
>Confused, Len peeked out at the road, only to see that their beloved road roller was parked about ten yards away. "Huh- AHHH!"<p>

Len screamed bloody murder as his field of view was filled with Meiko's enraged face.

"I found you!" Meiko growled, her eyes wide. "And now I'm gonna make you guys wish you were never born!"

Rin grabbed Len and began to shove him towards Meiko. She then backed away from them as she watched Meiko grab her brothers arm. With one last, cheeky smile to her brother, Rin pushed Len out from beneath the truck. "HUMAN SACRIFICE!"

That's what having a twin was for, after all.

* * *

><p><strong>Note:<strong> Sorry for the delay! I deeply apologize. I hope this chapter was worth the wait.

_To the Reviewers:_

Jak656: Thanks! I'm really glad you like my Miku. LOL. I figured she would have to be dominant if I wanted Luka to be shy. :P Ah, Gumi and Miki.. hm.

PaperCutVictim: I talk to you a lot. Hahah. But thanks, man! I still need to work some stuff out, but it's good to hear that you like the story. :D

Meislovely: Yes, dressing room molestation. Bahahahaha. Thanks for reading, guys!

Thyrokio: Ah, I'm glad that Miku attacking Luka had caught you off guard! (: That's what I was aiming for! Thanks for your support!

IdrewAcow: Oooh, okay. Hahah. One of the smaller countries? And yeah, this story is going to go on for a good while, I hope. Hopefully I can answer all of your questions in future chapters.

Major Mike Powell III: XDDDDD God, I love your reviews. Thank you SO much for reading and reviewing!

Dingos: Thanks! Hahahha it seems like everyone adores my version of Gumi. Maybe you guys could make a fanclub for her? Hahah. But it's great to see a new reviewer! Thank you for reading my story!

LukaFan: LOL. YES. THAT'S THE WORST! I hate getting woken up by explosions from a _game!_ But hey! Thanks for your review and support! I really appreciate it! (:

Syllogism: I know I shouldn't, but I laughed when I saw your review. To be honest, I adore Miku/Luka. But I do ship Miku/Gumi, too. Bahahahaha I like that we have similar tastes! And thank you for reading my story! It's nice to have a new reviewer! I hope I can continue to meet your expectations!

Namegoeshere: I really want to visit there one day. Hahaha. I'm jealous that you live in such an amazing place! But yeah, Gumi/Miki. Gumi/Miku.. Miku/Luka. Luka/Lily. There's too many shippings going on, so I think your course of action is a safe bet! Hahaha. Thanks for reading!

.

And once more, a big thank you to everyone who has been supporting me by reading my story, or by leaving me a review! (: I really appreciate it!

Until next time! Ja ne!


	12. Two Faced Lovers

**Slice of Life**

**Chapter 12 – Two Faced Lovers**

Ah, more delays with my chapters! I'm really sorry!  
>Hopefully all of you continue to find my story enjoyable. :P Or at least, don't kill me over what I have planned for later on. I have so many more ideas to write, and I'm super excited to get them all out there for you guys to read.<p>

But, once again, I'm sorry about the delay. I started writing rough drafts for my other story. xD I had to take a break from this one so I could re-plan how SoL will progress.

**Disclaimer:** Still. Don't. Own. Vocaloids. Just. This. Story.

* * *

><p><em>A white room.<em>

_The door that she had opened had brought her into a white room, furnished with a black leather couch, a light brown wooden table a few yards in front of it. On the table was a television that was only playing static. Other than these simple furnishings, the room was completely bare. A shiver went up her spine. Something about the room was so familiar… It was almost unsettling. But the more she tried to think about where she had seen this room, the more the memory escaped her. The feeling of déjà vu was too intense to ignore; there must have been a time when she had been here. But why couldn't she remember it?_

_With a quick look around the room, she realized that no one else was occupying the room. She was completely, and utterly alone. Frantic now, she patted her pockets—or rather, she patted the area where the pockets should have been if she had been wearing pants. Her hands only met the soft fabric of the white dress that she was wearing.  
>Alone.<br>She hated being alone. It was her ultimate fear. To be abandoned with no one to rely on was, in her opinion, the worst feeling in the world. _

"_What—Where did this dress come from?" She thought to herself, as her eyes widened slightly.  
>A giggle came from within the room, and Luka's light blue eyes quickly scanned the room to find the source of the disturbance.<em>

_The once unoccupied couch was now nestling two individuals in it's comfortable leather.  
>Luka blinked a few times, unsure if her eyes were playing tricks on her.<br>"M-Miku-chan? Lily-chan?" she whispered, bewildered._

_The blonde and tealette turned to look back at her. Both met her gaze with equally intense, lustful gazes, each beckoning her to come and sit between them on the couch._

_Automatically, her feet carried her to the couch, and she took a seat. It was then she realized that the other two girls were dressed differently than normal.  
>To her left sat the younger tealette, who she had fallen for so quickly. The dress that she wore was black, with a white ribbon around the middle. It widened out towards the end, and stopped just above the knees. On her head was a pair of black headphones, with brilliant pink butterfly wings on each side. Such a familiar outfit… Where had Luka seen it before?<br>And to her left sat her best friend, the blonde who (recently discovered) she had feelings for. A white trench coat was what she wore; left unbutton to reveal the black ribbons that barely covered her chest. The outfit surprised Luka, but she couldn't help but feel another wave of déjà vu wash over her. Another familiar outfit? But from where… And when?_

"_Ah, why are we here?" Luka asked the two, her light blue eyes unable to decide on whether to look at the tealette or the blonde. "Do either of you know?"_

_The blonde reached up into the air with both arms, stretching her back and torso. "Ne? We're here because you wanted us to be here," she answered, with an indifferent shrug. "If it were up to me, I would've picked a way better place to meet up. This room is boring as hell."_

"_Ne, ne, Lily-nee," Miku tsk'd, the unreadable smile present on her face. "This room is just fine. Less distractions, I think. And it's simple. I like it."_

_Lily snorted. "You only like it because it's something that Lu-chan would like," she retorted, as she wrapped an arm around Luka's shoulders possessively. She leaned in towards her long-time friend and rubbed her nose against the other's neck. With a grin to herself, Lily buried the bridge of her nose into the crook of Luka's neck. _

_The teal girl simply shrugged in response. "True. You're right about that," she admitted, as she leaned against the pink haired girl. Gently, she began to rub her cheek against Luka's exposed shoulder. Nonchalantly, she laced the fingers of one hand with Luka's. With her free hand, she placed it on Luka's thigh, and gave the pinkette her usual, bright, impossibly hard to read smile. _

_Luka shivered from the sudden contact from the two. She shut her eyes as the heat spread across her face and her heartbeat quickened.  
>Oh no.<br>She could feel it. Her skin was on fire, yearning for more contact from the other girls. The pinkette squeezed Miku's hand as a plea for more contact, and then laced her free hand with Lily's. _

"_Ah, Luka-senpai," Miku sang, as she planted a kiss on Luka's shoulder. "I didn't think you would want more of this, ne?"_

_Lily snickered, and lifted Luka's hands up to her lips. The grin was still on her face as she kissed the back of her best friend's hand. "Koneko-chan's feeling a little restless," she observed, her lips lightly brushing against the pinkette's sensitive skin. _

_Startled by the overwhelming amount of stimuli that she was facing, Luka mew'd. _

_Both Lily and Miku stopped what they were doing, and looked at on another. They each had a sly grin on their face as they focused their attentions back on Luka._

"_Ne, ne, Luka-senpai," Miku pressed her nose to the pink haired girls, lips brushing against the others. "That's so cute! I didn't know you were a little kitty."_

_Lily gently pressed her lips against Luka's neck, and laughed softly. "She's a kitty, all right. Little koneko-chan," she sang. _

_Luka shut her eyes tight, unable to suppress the gasp the followed after another meow.  
>Both Lily and Miku had taken it upon themselves to kiss her. Miku focused on her lips, and somehow managed to stay out of Lily's way. Lily made a trail of kisses along Luka's neck and collar bone, repeatedly following this sensitive trail.<em>

_And then-_

"A'DWAH!"

_Thud_.

Luka's deep blue eyes shot open as she looked up at the pigtailed girl standing above her. "Ah—M-Miku-chan!" she gasped, as she quickly sat up on the floor.  
>Wait… The floor?<br>Clearly disoriented, she gripped the white blankets that had fallen onto the floor with her. "Ah… I'm sorry that you have to see me like this," she apologized, a little embarrassed that she was so disheveled in appearance. It was more than she could bear to even begin to imagine what she must look like… What with her long, pink hair all messy…

The younger girl laughed, and shook her head. "It's okay, Luka-senpai!" Miku replied. The usual unreadable smile that was on her face was now completely genuine. Seeing Luka fall out of bed first thing in the morning had put her into a good mood. "I didn't mean to disturb your, um, dreams." She suppressed another giggle. "I thought I would wake you up and let you know that you were going to miss lunch.."

"My dreams—Oh, no, it's fine," Luka said quickly, her face turning red. "D-don't worry—It was nothing—Ah, well-… Wait, _lunch?_"

"You were mumbling in your sleep," Miku added, as she pressed a teal-polished index finger to her chin. Her eyes focused on a spot above her head as her mouth formed a little 'o'. "Something about Lily-nee and myself…?"

"NO! Nothing—It wasn't- You two—I just-!" the older girl stumbled over her words. The grip on her bed sheets tightened as she suddenly pulled the blankets over head to hide her face. She could feel her face becoming warmer as the conversation had gone on. "I wasn't dreaming about you two—It just—I don't know—Ah!" She let out a frustrated cry.

Miku's teal eyes widened a little as she looked down at the hidden girl. "Don't worry, Luka-senpai," she said, as she sat down across from the extremely embarrassed girl. "It wasn't anything bad, you were just mumbling our names over and over again." The corners of her mouth twitched into a smile as she gently pulled the blankets off of Luka's head. "It's okay, though. You didn't say anything embarrassing. I promise."

The pink haired girl's face was still slightly flushed, but she reluctantly opened her eyes to look at Miku. "Ah, is that so?" she exhaled, feeling relief wash over her. It would have been awful if she had talked about what Lily and Miku were doing in her dream…

The tealette nodded, and continued to smile at the pinkette. "I didn't think you were one to get embarrassed so easily," she observed. With her head tilted to one side, she kept her teal eyes focused on the older girl. It was interesting to see the once cool and composed Luka to be reduced to such a flustered state of mind. "It's okay to be embarrassed you know. I won't make fun of you or anything."

Luka avoided making eye contact with the younger girl. Her blue eyes darted around the room, and finally focused on the white blankets that were strewn across the floor. The last time she had been alone with Miku…

Oh God. The dressing room scenario.  
>Yesterday.<br>The day that Luka finally realized how complicated things had become….

"Luka-senpai?"

"Ah—S-sorry," Luka apologized meekly. "I was just thinking…"

Miku raised an eye brow, and leaned a little towards the other girl. "About what? Yesterday?" she guessed, her unreadable face now displaying curiosity. It was impossible for her to contain the interest that she felt. Now it was her turn to avoid making any sort of eye contact.

True, she had known that she had pushed Luka a tad too far, but Miku couldn't help it. Although she would never admit it to Gumi and Miki, she was a little panicked that Lily had realized that she had feelings for Luka. Having a rival in love had been exhilarating, and made Miku that much more earnest in her attempts to win Luka over; yet at the same time, it made her nervous. She may have never openly displayed this internal panic amongst the other members of the Secret Police, but behind closed doors…

Miku was terrified of losing Luka to Lily. At first, this sense of fear was non-existent. It had been more of a game for Miku. Sure, she had strong feelings for Luka. But finding out that Lily may have had feelings for Luka excited her. It gave her another reason to want the pink haired girl all for herself. Luka was quite the catch, and having her meant that no one else would be able to touch her.  
>But if Lily was in the race <em>and<em> she was playing for keeps…  
>The teal haired girl wasn't sure when she first began to have some doubts about being able to win Luka over. But she had realized that they were slowly becoming more frequent. As a way to fight these feelings of doubt, and to keep Gumi and Miki from realizing that she was troubled by her own thoughts, Miku had continued to give everyone her standard smile. Nothing unusual. Just a smile that the other Vocaloids found to be impossible to read.<p>

But in reality…  
>Just the thought of losing made Miku feel a little queasy. Losing Luka was unthinkable. Therefore, she needed to win this race to the pink haired girls heart…<br>Or else risk losing everything.

Friends and a shot at love.

After all, she had already broken Gumi to an extent. They may be best friends, but Miku was sure that Gumi was still deeply irritated with her. And Miku was also sure that she was hurting her best friend… And possibly Miki in addition to Gumi. It was not surprising in the least when Miki had first admitted to having some attraction to the green haired girl.  
>But Miku… Miku was well-aware that she was interfering with Miki's potential happiness with Gumi. There was just a part of her that could not let Gumi go.<br>No, Miku was positive that she had no romantic feelings for Gumi. But rather, a sort of possessiveness that a child would have over their favorite stuffed animal. Her jumping in between Miki and Gumi was something of a game for her… A distraction from the stress of having to find a way to beat Lily.

Miki and Gumi were not only her best friends, but her favorite toys.

"… -terday….Miku-chan?"

Her teal eyes shot up to meet the gaze of the pink haired girls. "Ah—Yes, sorry. I was just thinking about things, too," Miku explained, resorting to her default smile. "What were you saying?"

Luka sighed, and shook her head. Her blue eyes looked away from Miku's teal ones, choosing to look at the window. Yes, she was aware that the blinds were closed and the curtains were drawn shut… But looking at the window was better than having to look at the rather attractive girl sitting before her. "I was talking about what happened…" she hesitated. "About what happened yesterday…"

Miku raised a brow. "And?"

The pink haired girl felt her cheeks become warm. She shut her eyes, and took a deep breath. "I realized that this game of ours… It's going to end horribly for someone," Luka answered. "For you, for Lily, or myself… Or any combination involving the three of us. Someone won't be happy in the end…"

"'Love is war'," the tealette quoted, as she waved a finger at the older girl. "Isn't that right? We have to fight for the things that we want."

"I know…"

"I think I told you that before," Miku's smile became a grin as she recalled the memory of having breakfast with Luka. "I want you more than anything, so I'm willing to go to war for you. Even if it is against Lily-nee."

Luka let out another sigh, and leaned back against her bed. "I was afraid you would say that…" She opened one eye and peeked at the other girl. "I don't want Lily-chan to get hurt. And I don't want you to get hurt…"

"And you're scared of getting hurt yourself, right?" the tealette guessed, as she crawled towards Luka. She sat down beside the troubled girl. Rather than attempt to steal another kiss from Luka, Miku decided that it was best just to… Talk.  
>At least just for now.<p>

The older girl stiffened a little bit at their sudden change in proximity. "R-right," she stammered. "I don't want anyone to get hurt. Because—It's just.. Painful… And I might lose someone. I might lose you or Lily if I choose one of you…" Luka wasn't sure why she was admitting this to Miku at the moment. Maybe it was because she was still drowsy, and therefore unable to think properly. Or maybe she really just needed to let all of this out before her mind threatened to crush her heart with the knowledge.

The tealette was silent, respectfully waiting for the other girl to continue.

"And I don't know what I would do if I were to hurt one of you like that. I don't want you to be upset if I go with Lily-chan… And I don't want Lily-chan to hate me if I choose you," Luka pressed on, as she shut her eyes once more. Her heart was heavy with worries, and it felt good to have someone listen to her problems. "I know that if I were to be with you… Lily-chan would act as if she were okay. She would pretend that it would not change things between us." She hesitated before she continued. "But I know deep down she would be hurt, and would not be able to feel comfortable around me for a while…"

"Ah—Yeah, I know exactly what you mean!" Miku chimed in, as she placed her hands on her lap. "That's what happened to me and Gumi-chan!"

Luka opened her eyes and looked down at Miku. Neither Miku nor Gumi had discussed with anyone else what had happened between them.

"Things between us are… Strange, to say the least," the tealette admitted, with a smile on her face. It was not her default, 'let-me-hide-my-thoughts-from-you' smile. Luka noted that the smile on Miku's face was filled with sorrow, those teal eyes saddened by whatever may have occurred. "I hurt her, and she hasn't forgiven me yet. But—" she looked up at Luka hurriedly. "We're still best friends. She still helps me with everything, even if I drive her insane!"

Luka looked Miku over, and shook her head. Everyone could tell that there was some tension between Gumi and Miku, but mostly from Gumi. Yet this whole discussion… It seemed as if Miku was not affected by the fallout with Gumi. "But it's still hurting her, right?"

Miku blinked a couple of times. "Ah… Well…. Yes, I think so," she mumbled, as she turned her eyes away from Luka. "But… It's nothing that can't be fixed. Things will get better between us," she added, with a shrug of her slender shoulders. "And I'm sure Miki-chan could be everything that I wasn't for Gumi-chan."  
>The teal girl laughed a little bit before looking back up at Luka.<br>"That is, if they ever realize that there is something between them."

This was the first Luka had ever heard of such things. "Gumi-chan and Miki-chan…?" She repeated, her blue eyes wide. "Are they a couple? Or dating? Or...?"

"No, no. They aren't a couple," Miku corrected Luka. "But I think they do have feelings for one another. Actually, I'm positive that they do. They just don't realize it yet." Her teal eyes looked up at the ceiling as she mused over her two best friends. It was quite obvious to her that there were some feelings between the green haired girl and the red head. She held out an arm in front of her, and pulled her other arm back. "I suppose I could always play Cupid for them to make them realize—Eh?"

The girl seated beside her began to giggle.

Luka covered her mouth with one hand and shook her head quickly. "I'm sorry! I just—You playing Cupid for those two.. It was a funny thought," she admitted. "Cute, but a tad on the funny side."

Miku blinked a few times, and joined the pinkette in laughter. "Eeeeh, I guess it is kinda silly, huh?" she agreed, as she leaned her head against Luka's shoulder.  
>The older girl looked down at the top of Miku's teal head, her laughter slowly fading. "It is," Luka smiled. "But I needed that laugh. Thank you for that.."<p>

"Yup, no problem, Luka-senpai!" Miku lifted her head back up, and gave the pink haired girl a quick peck on the lips. "Anything to make you smile."

"Ah— M-Miku-chan!"

The tealette giggled as she stood up. She leaned over and brushed aside Luka's bangs, exposing the older girl's forehead. "I'm sorry if I made you upset yesterday. I may have been too… Forward."

Luka felt her face become hot and she shook her head quickly.

Miku smiled a little, and pressed her lips gently against Luka's forehead. "I'll see you at dinner, Luka-senpai!" She said, before she skipped out of the bedroom.  
>The door clicked shut behind her, and the room became silent.<p>

Megurine Luka gently touched the spot where Miku had kissed her on the forehead. Her fingers then trailed down to the mark that Lily had left only the afternoon before.  
>Ah, things were undoubtedly going to end in pain.<p>

* * *

><p>The tealette stood outside of the bedroom. Her slender fingers curled around the door knob and she twisted it open. The door swung open without protest, and the girl stepped into the room. She quickly scanned it, and found the person she was looking for.<p>

Curled up on the arm chair was the blonde, a fleece blanket thrown over her legs in an effort to keep herself warm. Her fingers furiously tapped away at the buttons on the remote control in her hands, her blue eyes focused on the plasma TV that was mounted onto the wall.  
>Video games…<p>

Miku crossed the room, and picked the remote for the TV up from the coffee table. She turned the television off, and looked down at the other girl.

"What the hell!" the owner of the TV roared as she sat up in her seat. "Miku-chan, what the hell—"

"I saw it, Lily-nee," Miku said. Her tone was amiable, and the sincere smile that she had on her face when she was with Luka had been completely eradicated. In its place was her default secretive smile.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"The mark," the tealette answered. "On Luka-senpai's neck."

Lily's face went blank for a second, but was quickly recomposed. She grinned up at the teal haired girl, her blue eyes filled with pride. "Yeah? What about it?"

"You did that?"

"Sure did."

"Interesting…" Miku's fingers drummed against the plastic controller in her hand. Her other hand was resting on her hip. "I didn't think you would ever do something like that. That's surprising!" She laughed, and shook her head. "You never cease to amaze me, Lily-nee!"

Lily's grin was wiped off of her face at the sound of Miku's high pitched laughter. "What—You're not annoyed or mad or anything?" she asked, clearly confused.  
>If Miku was so determined to be with Luka, shouldn't she be at least a little upset that Lily had made a move on Luka?<br>What the hell was wrong with the tealette?

"No, I'm not mad," Miku answered, as she shook her head once more. "Just surprised. You're making things quite interesting, you know. I wasn't expecting you to actually have feelings for Luka-nee."

The blonde's cheeks became a faint pink. "I wasn't planning on falling in love with her, either, ya know," she retorted. "It just happened-! Let go before I kick your ass…"

The teal haired girl had gripped onto the collar of Lily's shirt, and jerked the blonde upward. The two glared at one another for a second before Miku spoke.  
>"I won't let you take Luka-senpai for yourself. You may be her best friend, but that doesn't mean that you will win. This is something that cannot happen again," she whispered cooly, her teal eyes narrowed into slits. "I didn't think you would mark her before I did. There's no way I'll let you win this race, Lily-nee."<p>

Lily snorted, and continued to keep glaring at Miku. "Yeah, well, I did. I wasn't planning on it, but it happened."

Miku shrugged and set the control back down on the table. "Oh, I know. Things happen all of the time," she agreed. Her tight grip on the shirt collar slackened as she stepped away from Lily. She took a deep breath before continuing to speak. And much to Lily's irritation, Miku was _smiling_ once more, as if she had never lost her composure. "But you're making this a challenge for me now. And as much as I love a good challenge—"

"Miku, where the hell are you going with this?"

The teal haired girl held a hand up to stop Lily from interrupting once more. "Ne, ne. Let me finish!" She continued to smile. "I love a good challenge. But I do want Luka-senpai all for myself."

"Obviously," Lily frowned. "Look. You're interrupting my gaming time. You're not telling me anything that I couldn't have figured out myself. So go away—"

"Let's play a game."

"No, now get outta my room so I can beat this level."

"A game involving Luka-senpai," Miku pressed on.

Lily shut her mouth. Her deep blue eyes looked at Miku apprehensively, suddenly wary of what the younger girl may say next.

The tealette giggled when she realized that she now had Lily's full attention. "It's a simple game, really," she continued. "We'll see who she wants to be with. That's the end result." Miku paused as she tried to organize her thoughts into a fashion that would be easy to explain. "Obviously we're both interested in Luka-senpai. And we need to know which of us she wants to be with."

"Right…"

"And I have already talked to Luka-senpai," Miku nodded. "I know she has feelings for the both of us. And it's hurting her. I suggest we end things as quickly as possible."

"So if I killed you right now, then all of those problems would be solved. She won't be hurting. I won't be worried about her… And no one will have to put up with you anymore," Lily concluded, with a snort.

The teal girl laughed at her senpai's suggestion. "Ne, ne. Killing me would be an awful idea. I'm sure there would be many people that would be upset with you," Miku tsk'd.

"Gumi might be happier if you were gone."

At this, the mocking smile vanished from Miku's face. The muscles in Miku's jaw rippled as she held back her biting words.

Lily grinned at the sight of a shocked Miku. "But, ya know, you're right. Killing you would be bad. I could end up in prison," she agreed. She stretched her arms, attempting to grasp at the TV controller.

Miku snatched the controller off of the table and frowned a little bit. "Ne… Gumi would be upset if I were gone," she said, as she kept the controller out of Lily's reach. "But like I was saying. It's a race to win Luka-senpai's heart now, right?"

"Ugh. Sure, whatever.."

"We should both take her out onto a date this week," Miku continued. "To see who she feels more comfortable with. And we'll let Miki and Gumi monitor the dates from a distance. They'll let us know who Luka seems more comfortable with."

Lily frowned a little bit. "What? That's stupid—"

"Okay! So it's a plan, then! That's what we'll do!" The teal girl laughed.

"What—Idiot, I never agreed—"

"Here you go, Lily-nee!" She tossed the remote onto Lily's lap, and laughed. "But don't think for an instant that I'll let you get away with marking Luka-senpai. It's my turn to mark her now."

"Don't you dare—"

"Hehe, as a gift, I'll let you take Luka-senpai out on a date first. Bye!" The door slammed shut behind Miku.

Lily glared at the door. "Idiot ass plan…"

And Miku laughed once the door was shut. "Oh, I'm going to leave a good mark for Lily-nee to find on Luka-senpai," she promised to herself, as she walked back to her room. "How dare she mention Gumi-chan like that…"

* * *

><p>Dinner was a small affair that night. The only members seated at the table were all girls. The only female resident of the house that was missing from this "girls dinner" was Meiko.<p>

"Ah, Meiko-nee-san had something to take care of," Miki explained, as she reached over for a piece of tempura shrimp with her chopsticks.

At the mention of the brunette Kagamine Rin began to giggle. The piece of tempura that she had been holding with her chopsticks fell onto her lap as she continued to laugh.

The other girls looked at the youngest member of the group.

"M-Meiko-nee-san!" Rin laughed. "She—This video—OH MAN!"

"_Nani?"_ Miku asked, her teal eyes bright with amusement. "What happened to Meiko-nee-san, Rin-chan?"

"She—This video—Kaito-nii-san—Can't—breathe…!" Rin struggled to form a coherent sentence, her laughter interfering with any sort of understandable communication.

Miki looked at the young blonde beside her and sighed. She picked the half-eaten piece of battered shrimp off of Rin's lap and set it down on a napkin on the table. "Rin-chan and Len-kun had put a video camera in Meiko-nee's room the other night," she explained, as she took a bite out from her own tempura. "And it was quite… Uhm…. Interesting."

Lily, who was seated beside Luka and across from Miki, arched a brow at this. "'Interesting'?" she repeated, with a grin. "Don't tell me the twins got some homemade porno footage on that tape."

The redhead girl looked at her plate, her face now scarlet.  
>The blonde shorthaired girl began to laugh even harder.<p>

"Are you serious?" Gumi asked, finally deciding to join the conversation. She adjusted the goggles on her head as she looked at Rin in disbelief. "You have a video of _that!"_

"YES! AND IT'S SO FUNNY!"

"Rin-chan, you have got to be one of the most fucked up kids I've ever met," Lily laughed.

Gumi rolled her eyes an picked at her food. "Definitely fucked up… But I _guess_ it must be pretty funny," she agreed. "Especially since Meiko-nee is wasted every damn night."

"THAT'S EXACTLY WHY IT'S SO FUNNY!" Rin began to beat at the table with one fist, tears streaming down her face. "IT WAS TOTALLY WORTH LEN GETTING HIS BUTT KICKED!"

Luka shook her head. "Now, now," she said, as she sipped from her tea. "This isn't a dinner appropriate topic." Even though she was somewhat scolding the others, she was unable to wipe the smile from her face. Just the thought of a drunk Meiko was amusing…  
>Wait.<br>Did Rin just say that Len….?

Everyone around the table became silent, save for the hysterical blonde.

"Rin-chan…." Luka said slowly.

"Whaddaya mean Len-kun got his ass whooped!" Lily exclaimed, her deep blue eyes wide. The pony-tailed blond boy was something like a kid-brother to her. "You let him get beat up!"

Rin stopped laughing, a very serious expression on her face. "Sometimes we have to make sacrifices in life," she stated, her tone completely serious. "And Len will always be remembered by those who loved him."

Miki's antennae bounced as she looked down at Rin nervously. "So—so where is Len-kun?" she asked, afraid to hear the answer to her question.

"Probably in heaven by now. I mean.. If Len and I both died, I'd definitely be sent to hell," Rin answered, with a nod of her blonde head. "Len's too much of a goody-goody to go to the same place as me."

Lily started to laugh.  
>Luka sighed, and shook her head.<br>Miki looked absolutely horrified at the possibility of Len being dead.  
>Miku smiled and went back to eating her food.<p>

Gumi facepalmed. "I knew I should've just had dinner in my room…"

* * *

><p><strong>Note:<strong> Ah, sorry for another wait! This chapter is shorter than the more recent ones.. Especially the last chapter. xD; But I wanted to end it here, because the material that I have planned would make more sense if I kept it together in one chapter, rather than split it up into even more chapters.

But here we go! It's a full-blown competition between Miku and Lily now that they're both aware that they're rivals in love!

I'm really sorry, but there are so many reviews. xOx I won't be able to reply to each of you individually..

_A Few Replies to the Reviewers:_

_Thyrokio: _Ah, okay! I'm glad you were alright with the wait! Haha. :P Miku and Gumi have a complicated past.. Which, I noticed, that you caught a glimpse of in my other story!

_LukaFan:_ … I love shrimp flavored chips. LOL. It seems we've got a lot in common! XD

_Masaru2509:_ hahaha! Daughter of Evil indeed! :P And don't worry, your English is fine! (: Very good, actually! Thank you for your review and support!

_Toolazytolog:_ I still grin whenever I see "toolazytolog". xD Nice name there. Hahah. But thanks! XD I appreciate your support! (: To be honest, Gumi is my favorite in this story, too. Haha

_Reviewer:_ Thank you! :D And no, I haven't seen Strawberry Panic. I'll have to check it out sometime! Is it a really good series?

_Jak656:_ I laughed at your review.. Not because it was dumb or anything, but I imagined someone sitting at their computer yelling "NOOOOOO AAAHHHH WHY!" after I read your review. xD Thanks for the laugh, there! I needed it! But thank YOU for your support!

_PaperCutVictim:_ It's okay! Hahah. I appreciate as many reviews as I can get, no matter when they're posted! But you and that "eheheh"… It's too perfect. Hahaha. And Len is fun to pick on because he's just so vulnerable looking! :P At least in my opinion.

_Psychomaid:_ Ah! But it's all okay! I'm very happy to have gotten a review, even if you were planning on reviewing from the beginning! It means a lot when I see new people review my story. (: But I won't say anything about any pairings that may or may not occur by the end of this story. :P That's just a secret. Thanks again for the review!

_FisheyCakes: _Thanks for the review! I'm trying to balance out my Lily/Luka and Luka/Miku moments.. I hope I'm doing an okay job at it. Haha xD

_Dingos:_ It's okay, you're not the only one to like those pairings after reading through this point of my story. Hahaha. A lot of people have been jumping from one ship to another. XD But thanks for your review!

_Addffsfgsghf:_ … I had trouble typing your username. Hahaha. I had to double check and make sure I typed it right ^^; But thanks for the review!

AHHHHH.  
>I really wish I could reply to everyone's reviews! ;o; They all mean so much to me. It's great to see new reviewers, and of course, the returning reviewers who have stuck with this story from the beginning!<p>

Again, I'd like to thank all of you for your ongoing support!  
>I'll see you in the next chapter!<br>Or, if you started reading "Matryoshka!", I'll see you in the next chapter for that story as well!

Ja matta!


	13. Music Box of Time

**Slice of Life**

**Chapter 13 – Music Box of Time**

Ah, a chapter for SoL… I'm sorry for the delay. OTL I just wanted this chapter to be just right, before anyone began to jump the gun about what I may have in store for all of you! Thank you all for being so patient with me, and for putting up with reading "Matryoshka!" in the meantime. xD;

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Vocaloids. I never have, never will, and will only ever own this story.

* * *

><p><em>Why don't you wind it up.<br>Open the splendid box.  
>And Presto! It begins to sing.<br>A dream of the beautiful days…_

The room was silent. The furnishings of the room clearly showcased that the residents of the mansion were living in splendor. Upon entering the room, one would promptly notice the floor to ceiling windows on the left "wall". Opposite of the windows were bookcases, which neatly lined the wall. These too were floor to ceiling bookcases. In order for a resident or guest to reach the books of the top shelf, they would have to climb the wooden ladder attached to the case itself, which could be easily pushed along the track to get to the appropriate book case. Scattered throughout the room were several armchairs, love seats, and couches, each one offering comfort and solace to anyone who happened to stumble into the mansion's library. A visitor would be able to choose between having a cloth seat or a leather one, a reclining arm chair or a still one. The whole room was designed to provide upmost comfort to those who found refuge there. And of course, coffee tables were also readily available for either piling books on, or using them to rest any beverages.

Sunlight shone through the windows, successfully providing the area with more than enough light. None of the lamps or ceiling lights were turned on due to the ample source of sunlight, which was fine with its only occupant. She preferred natural light to the dull glow of the light bulbs anyway. Nestled on her favorite black leather couch was a girl. Curled up on one end, a worn leather note book placed on her lap. Every so often, her slender fingers would gently turn the page, as if she were afraid to cause any deformity to its worn pages. A quick glance at the notebook would lead one into thinking it was in relatively good condition, and would cause them to wonder why the girl was treating it with such care. The truth of the matter was that within the pages of this black leather notebook were the contents of the deepest corners of her mind and heart.

It was within this notebook that she poured out all of her thoughts and worries with her favorite pen, hoping that by writing the words down, she would no longer be haunted by her thoughts. Although she knew that this was not always possible, she found some sort of peace of mind through writing. She had had the notebook for quite some time, and it was nearing the end of the journal. There were only a few more pages left before it would need to be replaced; and this thought saddened the girl. True, she may not have written in the journal daily, but when she did write the entries tended to be long and heartfelt. There were things written down on the pages that she had kept hidden from the rest of the world. These were things that even her closest friends had no inkling about, and the girl was determined to keep it that way. The words she had scribbled down were secrets of the heart; meant for her and her alone. She did not plan on sharing these words with anyone else… And if she ever did reveal these things about herself to another, they would have to prove that she could trust them completely.

And there was no one that she could trust so completely.

And so her words were kept hidden from the rest of the world.

_Fwip._  
>Her eyes stopped as she read the first few words of the entry. Although she was normally seen smiling, the smile that was currently on her face was filled with sorrow. Her eyes looked distant, melancholic, even, as she recalled what had happened on that fateful day….<p>

* * *

><p>"<em>What?"<em>

"I can't be with you," Miku answered as she wrapped the fingers of one hand around the cup of coffee that she had ordered only minutes ago. She brought the black plastic lid to her lips and took a sip. The coffee had been sweetened with two packets of sugar and a splash of French Vanilla cream. It was something that she had become quite fond of ever since she had begun to date the girl seated across from her. After all, the other girl insisted on getting coffee together at least once a week. It was only a matter of time before Miku began to have her own favorite cup of coffee.

Emerald eyes narrowed at her, a look of hurt and anger displayed on the owner's face. "Why? Why can't you be with me?" Gumi asked, her voice quavering as she fought for self-control. The cup of black coffee in her hand began to shake. "That doesn't—Why, Miku?"

The teal haired girl only offered the other a sad smile. "I have my reasons," she answered ominously. She looked away from the green haired girl, her teal eyes choosing to focus out on the street outside of the window. "I'm sorry."

"You're not sorry at all," Gumi hissed, her free hand clenching into a fist. "This doesn't make any sense!" Her expression was wild, anger overtaking the pain that had once been displayed on her face. "Why can't you be with me!"

"I can't tell you that." Miku used her free hand to rest her head on the knuckles. "I'm not asking you to understand my reasoning behind my action," she replied. "I only want you to understand that I can't be with you anymore."

The green haired girl glared at the teal one sitting across from her. Thoughts of rage raced through her mind, overpowering the thoughts of sorrow. She was in complete and utter turmoil. "That's stupid!" She exclaimed, as she stood up. "That's so fucking stupid!"

Miku looked at Gumi from the corner of her eyes. The sad smile was still on her face. "I know. I'm sorry," she apologized once more. "I am stupid, but it's for the best, I think."

"No. It's not!" Gumi snapped back. "Was all of this just a game for you?" Her hands slammed down on the table as she leaned across to shove her face in front of the others. "Look at me when I'm talking to you!"

"Ah…" Miku lifted her head up from her hand, and leaned back in her seat. She placed both hands on her lap as she gazed back at her now ex-girlfriend. "Better?"

The corner of Gumi's mouth twitched, and her jaw clenched tightly as she only glared at Miku.

The teal haired girl was quiet for a few seconds as she continued to meet the furious gaze that Gumi gave her. "I'm hurting you…"

"Of course you're hurting me!" Gumi's fingers clenched back into fists, but she kept them planted on the table. "I don't understand—I thought you—We-…" Stumbling over her words only irritated her more. "Was this whole thing just a game to you? Were you just playing with me? My emotions?" Her tone was accusing, and rightly so. How could Miku suddenly call their relationship quits when they had only been together for a month? Officially, a month, but Gumi had known that feelings had developed when she first moved into the mansion half a year ago. "Am I just a toy to you?"

"No. Of course not," Miku shook her head at this accusation. "You're not a toy."

"Then why can't you be with me? Give me a _reason,_" she demanded. She could feel her entire body shaking now. "Is it because of someone else?"

A teal eyebrow was arched at this question. "No. There isn't."

"Then _why!"_

"I…" Miku hesitated. "I can't tell you that—Gumi-chan, please.."

The green haired girl had snapped. Gumi was now gripping onto the collar of Miku's jacket, bringing the girl up close. "What the _fuck_ Miku!" she hissed, her voice barely above a whisper. "I thought—We had something.." Her emerald eyes showed the confliction she felt. Could she really be mad at Miku?  
>Yes. Of course she could.<br>Miku was breaking her heart. Slowly, but surely.

The teal eyes widened a little at the sight of the tear drops that were beginning to pool at the corner of those emerald eyes. "Gumi-chan…" She whispered back, her own eyes brimming with pain. "I—I'm sorry…"

Gumi shoved Miku back into the cushioned seat of the booth. "Whatever. Fuck this," she muttered, as she shook her head. With the sleeves of her favorite orange hoodie, she quickly wiped at those salty tears that were threatening to stream down her cheeks. "Fuck it. I—Whatever.." She grabbed her cup of coffee and began to walk away from the booth. "I hate you…"

Miku sat very still, and watched as Gumi walked away. Her teal eyes darted over to look out the window, and she continued to watch her ex walk down the street and disappear around the corner. Her teal eyes looked at the bag next to her, and she withdrew the black leather-bound journal from within it. Carefully, she set it down on the table and flipped over to a new page. Her bag quickly produced a pen, and she began to write across the pages.

"_Telling her goodbye was harder than I thought it would be. I didn't tell her why I had to leave her… I thought it would be obvious to her, but I guess it wasn't."_

She paused, and took a deep breath before continuing.

"_She must hate me for ending things the way I did. Not that I blame her. I didn't give her a good reason for ending our relationship..  
>But I know it was the right thing to do. I hope that she'll see that one day, or at least be able to forgive me for this.."<em>

Another pause, this time to take a sip from her coffee.

"_It was so hard to tell her that we couldn't be together.. Especially when she began to cry. Gumi never cries… Not in front of others, anyway.  
>We couldn't be together. I couldn't make things work, even though I wanted us to be together. Things weren't supposed to be this way."<em>

She sniffled, and bit down on her bottom lip as she tried to fight back tears.

"_Reading those articles in those magazines was just too awful. I don't want anyone to look down on Gumi because she and I __are __were dating. People shouldn't write that what we feel for one another is wrong or damnble. I never want anyone to say such things about Gumi. Those words were just too painful to read. And on top of that.. Her parents… They haven't tried to contact her since we first made our relationship public. It was as if they had completely abandoned her."_

Miku put her head in one hand. Her body shuddered as she took in a shaky breath. A few tears managed to escape and roll down her cheeks. She hurriedly wiped them away with the sleeve of her gray cropped pea-coat.

"_It isn't fair for Gumi to have to suffer through the awful words of the world and have her parents disown her because of me. It would be selfish of me to keep her from making amends with her parents. So I had to let her go… Only to stop the world from saying those hateful things about her. No one deserves to be treated so awfully…_

_But saying goodbye hurts so much. If I'm doing the right thing, should I be crying, too?"_

The last few words were smudged from a few tear drops that had fallen onto the page. Unable to contain herself, she dropped the pen onto the table and cradled her head in both hands. Deep within her heart, she knew she had fallen in love with Gumi during that half-year they had both been living together. But no matter how much she may love Gumi, she couldn't bring it upon herself to continue to date Gumi knowing that she had inadvertedly ruined the other girl's life.  
>At least… This was how she had come to feel about things.<p>

Gumi dating her had caused Gumi's parents to abandon her.

Gumi dating her had caused a media fiasco, with magazines taking it upon themselves to either completely slander their names or show some sort of minute support for the couple. Yet those spiteful words were always more dominant in the press.

The green haired girl had constantly lied about her state of mind. No matter how many times Miku may have pressed the Gumi to see how she was, Gumi would always answer that she was perfectly fine and Miku did not need to worry.  
>Which, of course, only caused Miku to worry all the more. It was unhealthy for Gumi to keep things to herself when it was clear that the emerald girl was <em>not<em> okay.

And Miku couldn't stand to see Gumi try and hide the pain that came with the stress…  
>Which led her to the conclusion of releasing Gumi from the pain by ending their relationship...<p>

* * *

><p><em>Memories get more and more brilliant,<br>Seducing you into the past.._

She traced the last few words, the smudged words, with her teal polished index finger. A heavy sigh escaped her.

"What an awful day," Miku murmured to herself, greatfull that there was no one else in the library. Not that this was surprising. She was normally the only one to come to the room on a daily basis. It was her personal retreat.

She frowned a little when she noticed a fresh water mark on the page of the journal. One finger slowly went up to touch her cheek. To her surprise, she realized that she had been crying while reading the entry. "Ah… I guess I'm not strong enough to revisit the past…" The girl shook her head, and wiped away the tears with the back of one hand.

When she was sure that she had recomposed herself, she flipped to a blank page. She withdrew the pen from her pocket and began to write carefully.

"_It seems that I'm still hurting Gumi. I may no longer love her the way I once had, it looks like she isn't completely over what once was. This isn't good if Miki-chan is interested in her. The thought of them being together is actually super cute. I think they would be great together! Miki-chan would be able to give the comfort that Gumi so desperately needs… It's something that I had never been able to do for Gumi._

_Aside from that, Lily and I both know of each other's interest in Luka… And it terrifies me. I know if she really tried she would be able to win Luka over. I'm scared… I've never had to compete against anyone for someone's love. With Gumi, things just came so naturally… And at first it seemed the same with Luka… Until Lily realized that she had always had feelings for Luka. Now everything is complicated, and I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to win Luka over at this rate. _

_I don't mean to be so forward with her. I thought I would be able to just tease her the same way I did with Gumi, but I don't think it will work…"_

Miku paused, and bit down on the end of the pen as she tried to organize her thoughts into a way that she would be able to understand in the future. Her teal eyes closed for a moment as she continued to think. They opened once more, and she continued to write.

"_I don't want to scare Luka. I don't want her to feel nervous around me… I think I'll have to be careful around her. I can't be too forward that she'll force herself away from me, but I can't be distant to where she feels isolated._

_Love is too complicated. I don't think I should really be thinking this much about it…_

_But…_

_Lily. I don't know what to do about her. Because she knows she has an advantage over me. She's already incredibly close to Luka, and she knows that. And even though I act like I still have the confidence to get Luka… _

_It's a lie. I don't think I can anymore… As much as I want Luka, I'm afraid that I'll lose. And it's worse than when I had to leave Gumi to get her parents to talk to her again… Because I feel so different about Luka. Stronger feelings…_

_But if Lily really loves Luka… Then maybe I should just leave them be…_

_But God. It hurts to even think about that option…"_

She stopped writing and flung the pen across the room in frustration. She couldn't write. Not about this.  
>This was becoming too hard for her. Her chest felt tight, and her breathing was shakey...<p>

Miku massaged her temples, her teal eyes never looking away from the open journal in her lap. Another sigh left her lips. "I'm such a selfish person…. I'm the worst," she said to herself, as she shut the journal and stood up from the couch. "There's no way anyone could possibly love me… Maybe Lily's right. Maybe she should just kill me."

The teal haired girl went across the room and picked her pen up. She slipped it into her pocket before she headed to the only exit. Maybe she really should back down and let Lily- No. After coming this far, she couldn't back down. She had to keep going. She needed to at least _try_ and see if there was any chance of her and Luka ending up together. And on top of that she needed to find a way to bring her two best friends together.

She knew Gumi could be a complete idiot when it comes to romance, so it was up to her to get Gumi to realize her feelings for Miki. It was already made known to her that Miki had some sort of feelings for Gumi… Now Miku just needed to find a way to have the two become a couple, and all would end well. At least… All would end well for Gumi and Miki.

As for her own personal happiness, that remained to be seen.

Miku shook her head and exited the library with a heavy heart, and a severe original purpose in coming to this room was to relax and plan out how she was going to ask Luka on a date.  
>But it seems that the only thing that she could do was bring up painful thoughts and memories, which served to only worsen the headache that had developed from crying alone in the silent room.<p>

_Why don't you wind it up,  
>Open the splendid box,<br>And presto it begins to sing,  
>Sweet, Peaceful and poisonous dream.<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Note:<strong> I know this was an incredibly short chapter in comparison to some of my other chapters for this series… But I really needed to publish it. I wasn't sure when a good time to get out Miku's personal chapter, but after everything that has occurred so far, I think it was best for her to have her own chapter at this point. xD; I promise, there'll be some more Luka and Miku tension.

Please bear with me!

And I felt bad for not replying to everyone's review in the last chapter. ;n; So I'm replying to everyone who reviewed Chapter 12!

_To the Reviewers:_

_Jak656:_ Thanks! I love that you enjoy my story. But yes, you're right. Lily does have a dark side to her. :P And the dates, and maybe some Gumi/Miki fluff, are coming up soon!

_PaperCutVictim:_ Indeed, Luka was very greedy in her dream. XD And I do feel bad for putting Luka in such a damnable position. But, ah… It had to happen. XD;;; Thanks for your support!

_Meislovely:_ o.o Oh my… Such a strong reaction to the chapter…

_Urfandomnewfan: _Ahh! Really? Hahaha. Well, that is pretty funny! And I'm really glad you enjoy my story so far! (: Thanks for choosing to read it!

_OohLala:_ XDDD Ah, it seems like a lot of people are hoping for a 3-somey ending to the series!

_Reviewer:_ Nah, for me, these seem like a lot of delays between chapters. Hahaha. But ah, okay. I actually watched the first episode last night. My mind was overwhelmed with the amounts of WTF that took place in the first episode. I think I may continue on with watching, but I dunno. XD; It depends on how much homework I can get done… haha

_Psychomaid: _It's a great song, isn't it? : D I love it. Although.. I prefer Magnet over White Lily Basket. XD; But yes. I'm playing Switzerland for now. Hahahah Thanks for your support!

_Ouo:_ LOL. I'm glad you found the whole Kagamine scenario to be so hilarious! : D It's always good to hear that I can make people laugh with my ridiculous sense of humor! Thanks for your support, man!

_LukaFan:_ Yeppers, it's war now. Hahahaha. I've got a lot of ideas for what could happen, but I'm going to keep my mouth shut. ;D

_Major Mike Powell III: _xD Yeah.. Miku and Lily are definitely not up for a three-some in reality. It has to be one or the other. No compromising. xD Thanks for reading!

_IdrewAcow: _(^^)b Definitely going to be a lot of tension between Lily and Miku. Trust me. But I'll try to update as soon as I can!

_Chinesis' Fan: _Ah, it makes me really happy to hear that you enjoy my fic so much ;w; I love reading reviews from new fans! And I can honestly say that "Call of Duty: Sex Ops" had me giggling in the middle of my English class… XDDD I got a lot of strange looks from my classmates during that time.

.

AHHH. Once again, thank you all for your reviews! And if you didn't review, thanks for just reading! ;w; You're all great people.

See you in the next chapter!


	14. Scarlet Rose

**Slice of Life**

**Chapter 14 – Scarlet Rose**

Ablahblahblah. It's 1:12 AM where I am at… Apparently it's now Wednesday. OTL Why am I still awake? I blame coffee and college work. Fml. But. I'll let you guys know at the end of this chapter what time (and what day) it is when I complete this chapter. XD Because I want to know how long it'll take me to dish this one out.

Anyway. Enough of me rambling. Chapter 14. Let's go.

**Disclaimer:** I will never own any Vocaloids… So, really, just the story is mine. Thanks.

* * *

><p>It was a brisk autumn day, the air was dry and cool. A light breeze could be felt, and caused a few leaves to fall from towering trees. With each step that was taken, an accompanying crunch came from beneath their feet. Although it was a tad on the chilly side, they had decided to continue on with their stroll. It was nothing that either couldn't handle; and the stroll was a nice change of pace of things when compared to the past months events. Being out from their rowdy home and on the quiet path was soothing for the two of them.<p>

The pair ignored the whispers of those who took notice to them. It was something that had to adjust to after voluntarily auditioning to be in their positions. As idols of the music industry, hearing other people point them out was not unusual to them. It was merely part of their lifestyle now.

Although, one of the two did wish for a moment of privacy while out in public. As popular as she may be, she did not always appreciate being followed by an adoring fan (or sometimes an obsessed one) for a day. The last time she had been followed, she had ended up calling the security in the store out of fear for her own safety. The fan, with his camera, and been escorted out from the shopping area. And the press had a field day when the news came out that Megurine Luka had called security on the boy.

Luka sighed upon the recollection of this memory. She rubbed at her temples and shook her head as she tried to drive the memory from her mind. Her companion instantly took notice of this.

"Eh? Something wrong, koneko-chan?" Lily asked, as she turned her deep blue eyes onto her childhood friend. "If you don't wanna go, you could've said something..."

"H-huh- oh! No!" the pink hair girl quickly shook her head. "I was just thinking... Wouldn't we be begging the media to follow us?" Her brows creased together in worry. Normally, she would not have worried over this, but now that her and Lily were on an actual date...

Lily shrugged her shoulders, and pushed up the sleeves of her white zip-up hoodie. "Eh, I guess so," she replied, lips pursing together at the thought. "If that bothers you, we could go somewhere else-"

"N-no, this is fine. I don't mind going to a fall festival."

The blonde grinned. "Alright then." Without another word, she continued to lead the way. Her hands were shoved into the front pockets if her jeans, and her posture was relaxed.

It was a relief to the blonde that Luka had agreed to go out on this date after what had happened when Lily asked her yesterday...

* * *

><p><strong>Yesterday Afternoon<strong>  
>They sat in the library, each member seated either on the couch or an armchair. The seats were arranged into a sort of circle, allowing all of those present to be able to easily loom at the others.<p>

The eldest narrowed her blue eyes, and crossed her arms across her chest apprehensively. "No way. I still think this whole competition of yours is stupid," Lily snorted, glaring at the smiling teal haired girl that was laying on the couch across from her.

Miku turned her head to look at Lily. She giggled. "Mou, Lily-nee, don't think of it that way!" she exclaimed, as she waved her index finger at Lily. "In all actuality, things would have become like this even if neither of us came up with this idea." She adjusted her head on her "pillow" and received a quick flick on the forehead.

The "pillow" glared down at Miku. "Look, you stupid lieutenant," Gumi snarled. "Sorry for interrupting, but... Get off of me. I hate being your pillow."

Teal eyes met emerald ones. "Oh, right, right," she let out an overdramatic sigh. "I forgot you hate me..." Miku pouted at Gumi before she sat up. She then looked at the girl seated on Gumi's other side. "Did you want a Gumi-lap-pillow, Miki-chan?"

The antennae on the redhead's head quivered as she stiffened a little from the question. "A-ah, n-no- well..." She stumbled over her words as her face was quickly flushed by a faint shade of pink. "Is- can- Is that okay?"

"Of course it is! Commander here makes a great pillow-"

"Stupid! Shut up! Don't you dare start telling stories about us-"

"And what stories are you referring to, Gumi-chan?" Miku sang, a devious smile on her face.

Gumi opened her mouth, but quickly shut it. If she said something now, her words would undoubtedly be turned against her.

"Stories?" Miki looked up at Gumi. "Did something happen when Miku-nee used your lap as a pillow?"

At this, the two other girls had vastly different reactions. The green haired girl's face was shocked, and a faint blush was on her cheeks. The teal haired girl only giggled.

_Cough._

"Oi, I'm still here, ya know!" Lily stated, her fist still brought up to her mouth as she cleared her throat once more. It was clear to the others that were present that the older blonde was becoming irritated that she had been sitting there for so long.

At this Miku smiled, and gave Lily a look of apology. "Ah, sorry, sorry. I was distracted by my friends," she explained.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Can we just wrap things up?" she asked, as she began to impatiently drum her fingers against the arm of the chair. "If we're actually going to do this, I have to go ask Luka-chan out on this date." She put her other hand back on the other arm rest and cupped her head into its open palm.

"Right, right," the tealette nodded in agreement. "You can ask her on the date. She won't say 'no', I think. And once you two are out on your date tomorrow—"

"_Tomorrow!"_

"Yes, tomorrow, Lily-nee. When you two are out on your date tomorrow, we'll have Gumi-chan and Miki-chan here observe!" Miku concluded. She leaned back into the couch and placed her hands in her lap. "I think that would be best."

Both Gumi and Miki nodded in agreement. Of course, if they were the ones to proctor the date, they would be able to sabotage it and put things into Miku's favor.

"No," Lily said, her tone blunt. Her lips were turned down into a frown, and she shook her head. "I want the twins to proctor my date."

At this, the silent pair of twins that were seated on one armchair jumped up.  
>"SIR, YES, SIR!" Rin shouted, as she saluted the elder blonde girl.<br>"Right…" Len nodded beside his sister as he mimicked her salute. "We can handle it!"

The teal girl blinked a couple of times, her smile unwavering. "Eh? The twins, hm? I guess—ah!" She pouted and looked at Gumi, who had violently jabbed her elbow into Miku's side.

"No. If the twins go then—"

"It's okay," Miku shook her head. "I understand Lily-nee's point. It wouldn't be fair to have my best friends follow her on her date." She turned her unreadable eyes back to Lily, and continued to smile. "It's only fair that she has some back up that won't try to ruin her, ne?"

At this, Lily nodded in agreement. "I'm glad to see that you're not a total bitch, Miku-chan," she stated, as she stood up. "I was starting to think that you'd play dirty." The eldest girl then proceeded to head towards the door.

"No, Lily-nee, I don't think things would be as interesting as they are now if I did that," Miku sang, her teal eyes focused on the back of her rival in love. "I decided that I can't fight things anymore and that we both might as well face facts. Someone's going to get hurt, and we both don't want Luka-senpai to be stuck in this position any longer."

Lily's hand stopped on the doorknob of the door. Those words were true. She was trying to avoid hurting Luka, but at the same time she was trying to guard her own heart. If things ended poorly between them, the blonde knew she would be miserable for quite some time.

Noticing that the eldest blonde had stopped, Gumi raised a brow. "So I guess all of you are aware of the consequences of this game of yours, huh?" she asked, as she stifled a snort. "Looks like someone's going to get their heart broken. I wonder who's going to be there to pick up the pieces."

Miki looked at Gumi, and fidgeted uncomfortably next to her. This was such a heavy topic, and she hated that the atmosphere had dramatically changed. Yet, she knew Gumi was right. But if it were Miku who were to lose… Would Gumi be the one to piece Miku's heart back together? Just the thought made her painfully aware of the tightness in her chest. The redhead sighed, and leaned her head against Gumi's shoulder.  
>The green haired girl stiffened, but then relaxed.<p>

Both Miku and Lily said nothing. Lily's blue eyes were focused on the doorknob that was in her grip, and Miku's teal eyes were focused on the over-sized bookshelves.

"Ne, ne?" Rin blinked a few times. "I don't really get what's going on, but… CAN LILY-NEE-SAN GO ASK LUKA-NEE-SAN OUT ON A DATE!"  
>Len facepalmed.<p>

The corners of Gumi's lips twitched into a smirk. "Right.. Go ahead and ask her, Lily-nee."

At this, the eldest blonde nodded, and swung the door open.

_Thud._  
>"EEP!"<p>

All of the library's occupants turned their head towards the door. "Eeeeeh!"

"Oh—shit—Lu-chan!" Lily stared at her friend, eyes wide.

The pinkette had her hands over her nose. She rubbed it gingerly, making sure nothing was broken. Clearly startled and in pain, she turned her back to Lily and began to run off.

"Wow, Lily-nee. You didn't even ask her out yet, and you already fucked things up," Gumi snickered.

"Aw, Lily-nee!" Miki sighed.

"HAHAHAHA! WHAT! WHAT JUST HAPPENED!" Rin fell over laughing, her arms clutching her sides. Beside her, rolling around on the floor, was her twin.

Miku simply shook her head. "If you don't go after her, Lily-nee, then I will." She stood up, but sank back down into her seat when she realized that Lily had taken off after Luka. She giggled to herself, and shook her head again. "Oh, Lily-nee… You're making this so interesting.."

"LU-CHAN! I'M SORRY! I'LL MAKE IT UP TO YOU! LET'S GO ON A DATE TOMORROW!" the blonde wailed as she ran after her childhood friend.

* * *

><p><strong>Present Day<strong>

The pair of blonde bullets darted through the crowd of people that accompanied the fall festival. Although they were supposed to be following Luka and Lily, being at the festival proved to be a distraction to them. Each twin had on a mask on the side of their heads; Rin had a mask of a robot, and Len's was a standard dog mask. Aside from this, their outfits were different, yet still managed to match. As expected of them. Their outfits were one of their favorites; a souvenir from shooting one of their music videos, "Remote Control".  
>Despite the fact that it was nearly Halloween, and the weather was a tad on the chilly side, Rin had donned on a pair of black short shorts, a sleeveless black jacket with a faux-fur lined hood, a white sleeveless button down which was layered with a dark sea-foam green vest, with black knee high socks and black sneakers. Why sneakers and socks rather than the boots she had worn for the music video? Because she wouldn't be able to properly "watch" the date with boots on.<br>Likewise, Len had chosen to wear his black jacket, black pants, white button down, and sea-foam green vest, in addition to black sneakers.  
>Yes. The Kagamine twins believed that as "proctors" or "guardians" for this date, they should dress as inconspicuously as possible.<br>A total failure on their part.

They easily drew attention to themselves as they dashed about the festival stands. Some of the passerby's recognized the twins outfits, and attempted to jump into the twin's path and wave down the pair… Only to be run over by the twins in their mad search for Lily and Luka.

"Onee-chan! I told you we shouldn't have stopped to buy that takoyaki!" Len whined at his sister. "Now we don't know where they went!"

Rin laughed, and shrugged her shoulders unabashedly. The disposable plate of takoyaki was still in her hand. "Don't be such a worry-wart, Len!" She grinned. "All we have to do is find pink hair, and we're set! I doubt anyone else here has the same shade of pink as Luka-nee—LOOK! I FOUND THEM!" She jumped onto the table of a vendor's stand, and began to run along it, jumping from stand to stand. Every time she landed on a new stand, her feet were sure to crush at least one item that the vendor was selling.

Her brother followed beside her, apologizing to every startled vendor as they ran by. "Sorry. Sorry—Don't mind her, she's insane.. I'm sorry—Yes, I'll give you an autograph if you don't get mad at my sister. Sorry! Ah—I promise we'll be back to pay for your troubles! ONEE-CHAN, GET DOWN FROM THERE!"

The elder twin only laughed at her brother's reaction. "Len, shh! If ya don't shut up, Luka-nee-san'll know that we're following them!"

"BUT YOU'RE DESTROYING EVERYONE'S STUFF!" Len shouted back. "I DON'T THINK I HAVE ENOUGH CASH ON ME TO PAY FOR EVERYTHING—"

"Shaddup, will ya!" The girl flung a piece of takoyaki at her younger brother's head. She grinned when she saw that it had hit him directly between the eyes. "All we gotta do is find them, and make sure Gumi-nee and Miki-nee don't screw up their date!"

Extremely irritated, Len wiped off the takoyaki from his face. "But how do you know Gumi-nee and Miki-nee would do that?" He retorted, as he continued to chase down his sister. "Miki-nee-san would never do anything that would upset someone else!"

"But Gumi-nee would!" Rin responded, as she popped a piece of the delicious food into her mouth. She quickly swallowed it before speaking. "That's why we gotta make sure nothing'll happen! Besides, Lily-nee-san promised to buy us a new road roller to make up for the one that Meiko-nee-san demolished after she kicked your scrawny butt! Now just keep your eyes peeled for any suspicious characters."

"Onee-chan… You're a suspicious character…" Len sighed.

"Shut the hell up! You know what I meant!"

Meanwhile…  
>Another pair had been tailing Luka and Lily on their date. Although they had both been told not to by Hatsune Miku herself, they ignored her request for their own reasons.<br>Gumi, the commander of the Secret Police, had planned on sabotaging the date. It would be simple. If she could find ways to ruin the date, then Luka would not be happy with Lily. And Gumi figured if Luka was unhappy with Lily, then the pink haired girl would move towards Miku.  
>Miki, on the other hand, had tagged along to prevent Gumi from ruining the date. The redhead believed that Lily did deserve a fair chance at impressing Luka, even if it may hurt Miku's chances with Luka. And she wanted to spend some time alone with Gumi.<p>

"Okay, lessee…" Gumi withdrew a slingshot from her mini backpack, and loaded a pebble into it. She climbed up a tree, sat down on a branch, and took aim at the pink haired idol. "I think I can make it from here…"

"Ah! No! Gumi-nee! You can't!" Miki quickly scrambled up the tree. She sat down beside Gumi, and snatched the slingshot away from the older girl. "That's wrong!" The

Gumi stared at her now vacant hands. "Eh- Oi! Miki-chan!" she carefully twirled around on the branch. "Gimme it back!" She stretched her arm out, trying to grasp onto the slingshot in Miki's grip.

The younger girl scooted away from Gumi. Carefully, she stood up and shifted towards the body of the tree. "No, Gumi-nee!" she protested. "You can't hurt them! That's bad... Miku-nee wouldn't be happy if she heard about this."

"I don't care. I'm doing this so Miku'll finally be happy." The green haired girl continue her advances. For a better vantage point, she stood up and began to step towards Miki.

"I understand that you want her to be happy..." Miki began, her back now pressed against the tree trunk. "But what about you? Even though you're trying to make her happy, you never seem happy yourself..."

At this, Gumi stopped. She balanced herself on the (thankfully) thick branch, and frowned at the younger girl. Her expression was a little apprehensive, and she did not want to reveal any more about her emotions than necessary.  
>But Miki was able to see past Gumi's defenses. Just by peering into those emerald eyes, the red haired girl was able to see just how conflicted Gumi was.<p>

"Gumi-nee, you..." Miki bit down on her bottom lip as the elder Vocaloid trapped her between the tree and herself.

The green haired girl had put her arms up, hands pressed against the tree trunk on either side of Miki's head. The younger girl was truly trapped. "What is it, Miki?" Her emerald eyes narrowed a little bit, as if daring the other girl to press on.

The redhead gulped, and clutched the slingshot to her chest. "You still have feelings for Miku-nee, don't you...?" She whispered, as she closed her eyes. Those words were painful to utter, but it was a reoccurring thought that had been going through her mind. The last time she had asked Gumi this, they had been interrupted by the crazy resident brunette who was on the hunt for Kagamine blood.

The question was only met with silence.  
>And the silence was killing Miki.<p>

A soft sigh escaped Gumi's lips. "Maybe," she whispered, as she shut her own eyes. "I don't know. Sometimes I still feel really pissed off when I look at Miku," she explained, her voice tightening as she struggled to come to terms with what she felt for her ex. "And sometimes I kinda miss what we used to be… Or I'm just really comfortable with just being friends." Her jaw clenched, and she gently pressed her forehead against the petite girls. There was no real reason for this action, other than the simple fact that Gumi was hurting and she needed some sort of comort.

The petite girl felt her cheeks flush, and her heart beat quicken. Timidly, Miki opened one eye and looked at Gumi's face. It was easy to see that the older girl meant every word that she had said. Gumi really was conflicted when it came to her feelings for Miku. "O-oh…" she mumbled awkwardly. "I… I figured as much…" To be honest, she was a little upset that Gumi's feelings on Miku were not clear cut. But it couldn't be helped.

Yet Miki's tone of hurt and disappointment did not go unnoticed by the green haired girl. "Why do you keep asking me about Miku, anyway?" Gumi asked, her lips turned into a clear frown. "I don't get it. It doesn't make any sense to me at all." Her eyelids fluttered open, and her famous pair of emerald eyes looked at the younger girl.

"Ah—Th-that's because… Nn…" Miki bit down on her lip, and looked down at the slingshot that was clutched between her petite hands. There was no way she could avoid this.

"Are you jealous or something?" Gumi asked, her tone a little sarcastic even though she was trying to make light of the situation. She couldn't help that even at times like this, her snarky attitude shown through.

"J-jealous—N-no—W-well.." Miki shifted from one foot to another, clearly uncomfortable with the situation and their close proximity. "M-maybe—eep!" While shifting her balance, she had lost her footing and slipped off the branch. The ground was quickly approaching her, and she shut her eyes tight as she braced for the impact that was sure to follow.

But never happened.  
>Miki felt a sharp tug on the back of her favorite navy blue and red plaid shirt. Startled that the ground was no longer rushing up to meet her, she turned her red eyes up. They widened when she realized that Gumi was gripping onto the back of her shirt, and had her free arm wrapped around the branch of the tree.<p>

"Idiot!" Gumi snapped down at the still shocked girl. "Are you trying to kill yourself or something!"

"No! I just—It was an accident!" Miki stumbled over her words, as she frantically waved her arms to express how sorry she was. "I'm so sorry!"

"STOP MOVING OR WE'LL BOTH FALL!"

"_GOMEN NASAI!" _Gumi's outburst only caused Miki to panic all the more. The redhead's arms now moved in a wind-mill like motion as she continued to apologize. "I'M SO SORRY, GUMI-NEE!"

"DAMN IT, I SAID STOP—AH!"

"EEP!"

_Thud._

A flutter of orange, red, and brown leaves fluttered up into the air as the pair landed into the small stack of leaves that had been waiting beneath them. Thankfully, the leaves had cushioned their fall. Only a few muffled groans came from the two as they recollected themselves.

"Dammit, Miki!" Gumi groaned as she pushed herself up with her hands, and looked down at the girl. "I told you to quit moving around so much!"

"Nn... S-sorry," Miki mumbled, as she rubbed her head and opened her eyes.

Both were surprised to realize that they were in such a compromising position. Miki was laying on the bed of leaves, her long, red hair messily strewn about. Her cheeks were flushed as she stared back at a pair of emerald eyes.  
>Gumi gulped. She was propped up on her hands and knees, hovering over the petite girl. "Uh..." Heat spread across her face the longer they held one another's gazes.<p>

Miki offered Gumi a timid smile. "Gumi-nee...?" The look in her eyes hinted that Gumi should do something... But the dense green haired girl had no idea what to do.

"Shit!" Gumi jumped up, and quickly pulled the hood of her orange and white stripped hoodie up and over her head. The goggles were quickly pulled on to cover her eyes. Quickly, she snatched the slingshot up from the ground. Her cheeks were still pink but she kept her back to Miki. "Don't get the wrong idea or anything. We gotta focus on the mission, got it?"

"R-right..." Miki sighed, looking a little deflated that nothing had happen. She silently cursed herself for not taking advantage of such a golden opportunity.

The orange and white clad girl marched off; which left girl dressed in plaid wondering what would have happened if she had just pressed her lips against Gumi's...

* * *

><p>Lily felt a bead of sweat roll down the side of her face. Her deep blue eyes looked past Luka, and zeroed in on the pair of twins that were hanging upside down from a tree branch. The elder twin was giving her thumbs up while shouting "EVERYTHING'S A-OKAY!". The younger, and slightly more tactful, twin mouthed the words "No sign of Gumi-nee anywhere."<p>

"Did you hear something?" Luka asked Lily, as she plucked off a piece of the cotton candy from the paper stick. She popped into her mouth and looked at Lily expectantly.

"No. I don't hear anything at all," Lily lied, as she forced a smile onto her face. She forced her gaze back onto Luka.  
>Damn those twins for being so obvious.<p>

Luka shrugged, and began to walk once more. "Oh, alright," she replied. "I thought I heard the little twins here... And I could have sworn I heard someone who sounded like Gumi-chan yelling at some poor soul..."

"Wha- Gumi-chan?" Lily's face faltered as she strode beside her friend. Sure, she had requested the twins for the sole reason of avoiding any sort of trouble... But if Gumi was here...  
>She quickly scanned the area, looking for the trademark green hair and red-orange goggles.<br>Her search came up empty.

The pink haired idol took no notice of the blonde's behavior. "Yes, Gumi-chan. But it wouldn't be surprising if the others decided to go to the festival, too," Luka added, as she tore off another piece of the pink and blue fluff. "We don't need to worry about the others being here. We can meet up with them later."

"Right..."

"Because we're on a date right now," Luka concluded, as she held up the piece of cotton candy up to Lily's mouth. Her own cheeks were a faint pink, but she did want Lily to try the cotton candy. "It's good. I promise."

The blonde arched a brow at her friend's action. Lily grinned and chomped down on the cotton candy, careful to avoid biting on her childhood friend's fingers. "Yum." Daringly, she flicked her tongue over the fingers, lapping up any left over cotton candy.

Luka quickly pulled her fingers away, flustered by the act. She quickly looked around, hoping to find something worthwhile to do. Something that would pacify her racing heart.

The blonde puppy laughed, and shoved her hands into the pockets of her jeans. She looked around as well, and stopped when she spotted a particular stand. "Oi, Lu-chan.."

"Y-yes?"

Lily took one hand out from her pocket and jerked her thumb at the goldfish catching stand. "Wanna give it a go?"

The pinkette looked over the stand and gave her friend a sheepish smile. "You know I was never any good at that game," she said, as she ate another piece of cotton candy. "I don't think I could win a goldfish."

The blonde shook her head and took ahold of Luka's free hand. Brimming with tangible confidence, Lily led the more timid girl to the stand. She released Luka's to pull her wallet out from her pocket.

The stand's vendor was squatting behind the tank of goldfish. A cheeky grin was plastered onto his face as he looked up at the pair. "Gonna try an' win a fish, eh?" he asked, as he took the money from Lily's outstretched hand.

"Yup. And we're gonna get one, too," Lily proclaimed, as she picked up one of the scoopers. She squatted in front of the tank and pushed up the sleeves of her jacket. "Alright! Let's do this!"

Luka stood behind her, bent over a little to observe her friend. She tucked a strand of pink hair behind her ear. "Good luck, Li-chan!"

The blonde idol was determined to get a goldfish or two. She watched the fish swim about the tank, and waited for one of them to halt. To her supreme satisfaction, an orange and white goldfish stopped swimming in front of her. "HIYAH!" The blonde shouted as she scooped the fish into the air.

"Oh! You did it, Li-chan!" Luka clapped her hands, clearly impressed by the feat.

The vendor wordlessly wrapped the fish up in a plastic bag filled with water. He tied a string around the top and handed it to the grinning blonde. "Right then. A fish for ya, eh?"

The victorious girl took the bag from the vendor. She brought the bag up to her face, and stared at the goldfish. Oddly enough, the fish was completely calm, not bothered by the change of surroundings. Lily sat down cross-legged in front of the tank, and carefully set the plastic bag down on her lap. "Right then. Your turn, Lu-chan," she said, as she looked up at the pinkette with her deep blue eyes.

"H-huh? M-me?" Luka stammered, clearly caught off guard by the suggestion. "But I'm not any good at this game.."

Lily shook her head, and pat the ground next to her. Obediently, Luka knelt down beside Lily.

"I'll help ya out," Lily said, as she handed the scooper to the wary pinkette. "Trust me. You'll be a goldfish scooping pro after tonight!"

"Oi! Don't go catchin' all my fish, ya hear?" the vendor teased, as he smirked at the sight of Luka staring at the scooper.

Uncertain of her skills, Luka stared down at the fish tank. Her light blue eyes watched the goldfish swim through the water, occasionally thrashing their tail out at the top. "I- I don't think I can do this," she stammered. The scoop in her trembled as she looked at Lily helplessly.

The blonde only grinned at Luka, and shook her head. "Geez, you're hopeless sometimes," she teased. "Have a little faith in yourself!" She shifted a little, so she was now closer to Luka. Carefully, Lily put her hand on top of Luka's so they were both gripping the scooper. "Look, I'll even help ya out."

The pink haired girl blushed, and made sure she was staring at the fish tank. "O-okay..." She was hyperaware of how quickly her heart was beating.  
>If just having Lily's hand on top of hers caused this sort of reaction from her, she was almost afraid to see what else could happen.<p>

"Don't worry, koneko-chan," Lily said quietly, almost whispering into the pinkette's ear. "You'll catch a goldfish."

"R-right..."

Lily guided Luka's hand, the scooper now hovering over the tank. "So. You basically just watch the fish," the blonde explained, her voice still soft. It was soothing to the pinkette, and she slowly relaxed her tense shoulders. "And once a fish stops moving, you just go and scoop up the fish," Lily concluded.

Luka nodded. Her light blue eyes scanned the tank. Wait for a fish to stop moving...  
>There.<br>An orange goldfish with a black spot on it's back halted in front of Luka.

"On the count of three... One... Two... Three!"

Both Lily and Luka moved their hand in unison. The scoop swished underneath the water and the chosen goldfish flew up into the air.

"YOU DID IT!"

"Ah! I did-..."

The goldfish landed back into the water and swam towards the retreating school of fish. Lily began to laugh, but stopped when she noticed the deflated look on Luka's face. "Ah geez.." She scrunched her nose up. "Damn those goldfish!"

Luka pouted. "I really thought I had it, too," she sighed. "Maybe I'm no good-"

"Don't say that!" Lily interrupted, as she shook her head. The blonde pulled out more money from her wallet and shoved it into the vendor's hand. "Just try again, okay? You know what to do now, so I bet ya could do it without my help."

A flash of doubt crossed Luka's face as she looked at her date. "Do you really think so?"

The blonde gave the pinkette a thumbs up and winked. "I know so, koneko-chan."

At this, Luka felt her heart skip a beat. "Ah, okay..." She gripped the scooper tightly as she focused on the task at hand.  
>The fish stayed huddled together for a moment more before they collectively decided to disperse. This time a plain, white goldfish wandered towards the waiting pinkette. Luka held her breathe as she watched the fish stop. Silently, she counted down from three before she brought the scoop down to the surface of the water. To her amazement, she was able to scoop the goldfish up without breaking the fragile netting of the scoop, or lose the goldfish once more.<p>

"I- I did it!" Luka exclaimed with a look of glee on her face.

Lily grinned. "I told ya so."

The vendor whistled, impressed that a beginner had been able to catch the fish. He wrapped the white fish up in another plastic bubble filled with water. With another piece of string, he tied the bag shut and handed it over to the ecstatic pinkette.

Luka's graceful fingers took a hold of the string. She stared at the goldfish within the plastic bag, and let out a tiny squeal of joy. "She's so cute!"

"She? How can you tell it's a girl?" Lily asked, her lips curved into a smile of amusement.

"Because she's just graceful looking!" The pinkette tore her gaze away from the white fish. Still excited over the successful goldfish scooping, she threw her arms around the blonde. "Thank you so much for showing me how to catch Yuki!"

The unexpected hug caused Lily's face to turn bright pink. "Eeehh? Wha- nah- it's no big deal," she said quickly. "Wait... 'Yuki'?"

"Yes, I named her." The pinkette gave her friend another tight squeeze before speaking once more. "Isn't it a cute name?" Luka pulled away from Lily and smiled. She stood up, and held the bottom of the bag with one hand and the string in the other. "Yuki-chan! 'Yuki' as in snow, because she's white," she explained as she gave the goldfish an affectionate smile.

This caused the blonde to look down at the plastic bag in her lap. "Huh... I wonder what I should name this fella, then," she mumbled, as she grabbed onto the bag's string and stood up.

The pinkette began to walk away from the goldfish catching stand, and slowed her pace down to allow her friend to fall into step with her. It seemed that more time had passed than they had realized, and so the more time-conscious girl decided to walk back towards the mansion. "Mm.. 'Koujiiro-kun'," Luka stated. The smile on her face had widened as she looked at her friend for approval.

"'Koujiiro' means saffron..." Lily said slowly. Saffron? What kind of name was that! Clearly the fish was orange and white in color. "He's a goldfish! He's freaking orange and white, Luka-chan!"

"Yes... He is..." Now it was Luka's turn to look confused. Her pink eyebrows creased together as she stared at Lily blankly. "Saffron is a shade of orange..."

"Oh..." Lily looked away, embarrassed. Boy, did she feel like an idiot.

Luka only giggled when her friend avoided her gaze. "You never did pay attention when we went over colors in art class, koinu," she laughed airily.

"Yeah, yeah.. I knew saffron was orange. I was just testing you."

"Of course," Luka shook her head.

The pair walked in silence; the blonde unwilling to admit to her dumb mistake, and the pink haired girl was simply content with spending alone time with her friend. The sun had set over the horizon, and the air had become chillier than before. The pink haired kitten instinctively moved closer to the blonde puppy, seeking another source of warmth. The kitten linked arms with the puppy, and rested her head against the puppy's shoulder. And the puppy neither moved away, nor made any move to bring the kitten closer.  
>And so they walked in silence, shoulder to shoulder, each carrying their respective goldfish in their hands.<p>

That is, until the koinu had decided to break the silence.  
>"We're almost home," Lily pointed out lamely, noting that the vendors, crowds of people, and autumn trees were replaced with the gates enclosing the larger houses.<p>

"Mhmm..."

They approached the gate that closed off their home to the prying eyes of the general public. Lily punched in the combination into the keypad, granting access into the estate. The gates opened slightly, creating a path wide enough for the two to enter. As they passed through the gates, a quiet groan of metal was heard as the gates close behind them.

"...Did you have fun today?" Lily asked.

"I always have fun when we hang out, Lily-chan!"

"I mean.. You know... It was a date..." the blonde clarified. Was Luka always so dense?

The gravel of the driveway crunched beneath their feet as they continued to walk.  
>"Well, yes, of course I had fun on our date." Luka quickened her pace so she was walking ahead of Lily. She skipped up the steps and stopped in front of the large, double doors that served as the main entrance into the mansion.<p>

Lily followed her friend up the steps and stopped beside Luka. "Wait- seriously? You had fun on the date?"

Luka laughed, and nodded once. Admittedly, the fact that them hanging out was now known as a date flustered her a bit. She had never imagined going on a date with her best friend. But it wasn't a bad thing, she reasoned. It had been a lot of fun.

Once more, she wrapped her arms around Lily. "Yes, I had fun," Luka stated. "Thank you for today. It was nice.. And I have a new friend, too!" She peeled herself off of the blonde, and held up the plastic bag that contained Yuki-chan. "I never thought I would be able to catch her, but you taught me how to do it!"

Lily didn't know whether to be embarrassed or dumbfounded over the simple fact that goldfish catching had made the date a success. "Uh... Right... No problem!" she said awkwardly, with a grin forced onto her face.  
>So was this the part where she tried to get a kiss?<p>

Luka nodded, and pulled her keys out from her purse. She fumbled with them in her search for the right key. "Ah- there it is!" The key was quickly glided into the keyhole. Twist. And the door was unlocked. The pinkette opened the door and looked back at her friend. "Hm? Are you alright, Lily-chan-"

"NOOO! NOT THE FISH!"

* * *

><p>Gumi was hidden behind the bushes. In her hand was the slingshot, loaded with a pebble. Her goggles had been put on over her eyes. "Night vision activate.." she mumbled, as she tapped the side of them once. A while back, her technologically inclined friend, Akita Neru, had modified them to have a night vision mode. Back then, Gumi had thought it was a useless addition to her goggles... But now she was mentally praising the tech-geek blonde.<p>

Curled up in a balk beside tue green haired commander was Furukawa Miki. The petite girl had fallen asleep while waiting for Lily and Luka to return from their date.

"Ah! They're back!" Gumi whispered excitedly, unaware that her companion was already fast asleep. She watched Luka skip up towards the front door, and exchange some words with Lily. To her amusement, it would seem that Lily was unsure of what to do next... And that Luka had no idea what to think of Lily's lack of response. It seemed that the pink haired girl was ready to head inside...

Whatever. Gumi aimed at the plastic bag that Luka had held up into the air. "Sorry, fishy. I gotta take you down if I want the night to end badly for them," she muttered, as she pulled back on the slingshot.

"NOOO! NOT THE FISH!" a high pitched voice shouted.

"Wha-?" There was no time for Gumi to spin around to locate the owner of the voice... For the owner had launched herself at Gumi.

Together, the two fell onto the ground with a thud. Kagamine Rin wrestled the slingshot out of Gumi's clutches. "DON'T WORRY, I SAVED THE DAY!" The fourteen year old blonde stood up from behind the bushes. One hand was on her hips, and the other held the potential weapon up in the air. Her black sneaker clad foot was pressed down on the back of the green haired girl. "NOTHING CAN GET PAST THE HAWK-LIKE VISION OF THE GREAT RIN-SAMA! NOTHING I TELL YOU! AHAHA! NOT EVEN GUMI-NEE CAN ESCAPE MY WATCHFUL EYES! THAT'S RIGHT WORLD! KAGAMINE RIN SINGLE HANDEDLY TOOK DOWN THE GREAT KUNOICHI GUMI!"

From behind a tree a few meters away, Kagamine Len put his head in one hand. "Onee-chan... You were supposed to stay quiet," he muttered to himself as he shook his head in shame.

* * *

><p>Both Lily and Luka stared at Rin, who had popped up from behind the bushes that lined the driveway up to the front door of the mansion. The young blonde was shouting something about saving the day...<p>

"What is Rin-chan doing- eep?" Luka's question was interrupted by Lily quickly shoving her into the mansion.

"Well, it's been fun! See ya later, Lu-chan!" Lily's words were rushed. She quickly planted a kiss on Luka's cheek. The blonde stepped back outside, and slammed the door shut, leaving Luka to stand inside the mansion dumbfounded.  
>The pinkette stared at the large, wooden doors.<p>

"Okay..." Luka shook her head and headed up the staircase to go back to her room.

* * *

><p>Lily stormed over to the bushes and glared down at Rin. "What the hell was that about?" she hissed. "You ruined a chance for me to kiss-"<p>

"Gumi-nee was going to hit you with this rock!"

The older blonde girl stared at the younger one. "And where do you see Gumi?" She asked slowly, barely able to contain the rage she felt.

"Eh? What? Are you blind now, Lily-nee?" Rin asked cheekily. She pointed the slingshot down at the ground beneath her feet. "Right here-..."  
>Ground?<br>Gumi had just been trapped beneath her foot just a moment before..

"She's not there."

Rin gulped, her blue eyes frantically looking around her. The sleeping redhead had disappeared as well. "What- but I was just standing on Gumi-nee!" she said defensively. "And Miki-nee was right here sleeping!"

"Okay. Well, they're not here."

"BUT, BUT! THEY WERE!"

"I PAID YOU TO MAKE SURE THE DATE WENT SMOOTHLY, NOT TO SCREW UP THE END!" Lily gripped the faux-fur lined hood of Rin's black vest. She began to violently shake the short haired blonde back and forth.

From behid the tree that Len had been hiding behind moments before, Gumi watched Lily furiously shake Rin. She snorted and shook her head at the sight. Escaping from Rin had been so easy. While the neurotic elder twin had spent her time shouting out her triumphant victory, Gumi had simply crawled out from beneath her, thrown the sleeping Miki onto one of her shoulders, and sprinted towards the startled pony-tailed boy. Before Len could even let out a scream, Gumi had jumped up and high kicked Len in the face, successfully knocking him out. And without dropping or disturbing the dreaming redhead that was on her shoulder.

1 point for Kunoichi Gumi, commander of the Secret Police and ninja extraordinaire. 0 points for the Kagamine twins, road roller obsesed and neurotic duo.

* * *

><p>Luka was still confused by Lily's odd behavior at the front door. Yet she decided not to spend too much time thinking of a good reason to explain the blonde's actions. Aside from that more than odd ending, the date had been fun. It was simple in idea, and very relaxing. It was something that Luka had thoroughly enjoyed, even though it had been surprising to hear Lily even ask her on a date... Okay, Lily had screamed the idea at Luka while apologizing for throwing the door open at the pinkette's face.<br>But other than that, yes, the date was a surprise.

She halted in front of the door to her bedroom, a sigh escaping her. Although the date was fun, it caused Luka to feel even more confused about her two suitors. Would Lily really be a good person for her to be in a relationship with? And what about the tealette who was still interested in her.

"Why can't love be simple..." she mumbled to herself. Luka snapped back into reality as she stared at a note that had been taped to her door.  
>Written in an elegant cursive writing, and not in the expected kana that the Japanese were accustomed to, were English words. Which was no problem to Luka. After all. She was the most skilled Vocaloid when it came to the English department.<p>

"'Sorry to intrude while you were out'..." Luka read the note out loud. She took the note off from the door, her eyes clouded in confusion. Had someone entered her room?

She shook her head, and turned the doorknob. The door swung open, and the lights came on as she flicked the switch beside her door. It only took her a second to notice that something was wrong with her room. Something was out of place; or, rather, something was now there that was not there earlier this afternoon. A change in the room. An addition.

Luka crossed the room, and stopped beside her bed. On the white cotton bed sheets sat a bouquet of red roses, neatly wrapped in wrapping paper and plastic. Beside the flowers was another note written in English script.

"'It would be an honor if you joined me for dinner tomorrow night'," Luka read out loud once more. She felt her heartbeat quicken as her light blue eye looked over the name at the end of the note, and she could have sworn that the beating could be heard a mile away. "'But only if you want to. Sincerely yours, Hatsune Miku.'"

The pinkette sat down beside the bouquet. The plastic bag containing her goldfish was placed onto her lap. She pinched both of her cheeks with her free hand to make sure that she wasn't dreaming.

A second date with the teal haired girl who had caused such drastic changes to her life.  
>A date following her date with Lily...<p>

Now what to do...

* * *

><p>It was nearly midnight, and despite the day's events, most of the mansions residents had finally tucked themselves into bed.<p>

But one was seated at the piano in her bedroom, her teal polished fingers dancing across the ivory keys. They carefully executed the melody to one of Claude DeBussy's masterpieces, "Claire de Lune."

Buzz. Buzz.

The iPhone that was placed on the stand for sheet music for a pianist buzzed to life. The girl stopped playing, yet her eyes remained closed. Slender fingers picked the phone up, and muscle memory allowed them to type in the proper four digit unlock code. She opened her eyes, and looked over the new text message.

The corners of her lips twitched into a tiny smile.

Miku did not have to look at the name of the sender to know who it was from; for the text was short and straight to the point.

Only four words had been sent.

And the text that she had received said, "Yes, I'd like that."

It was the response that she had been hoping to receive all afternoon, ever since she had first set the notes and roses up.  
>Her un-readable smile was not present on her face. Instead, a truly genuine smile was there.<p>

Miku stood up from the piano bench, and crossed the room. She opened the door to her closet. It would seem that she would need to find an outfit to wear for tomorrow evening.

* * *

><p><strong>Note:<strong> ah, another chapter has come and gone! I'm sorry for the wait... This chapter would have been posted sooner.. But I went home for the weekend to visit my family. But in my mad rush to pack up my backpack in my dorm room, I failed to pack my laptop charger -_-; So the entire weekend, I had to type up the rest of this chapter on my itouch...

I feel like this chapter was long.. Or maybe it just seems long since I typed it up on my itouch...

Anyway... I decided to work on this chapter rather than write up another chapter to "Matryoshka!", only because I was afraid I would forget about my silly idea for rampant Kagamine Twins for this chapter. XD;;

_Reviewer Replies!:_  
><em>Jak656:<em> thanks for the review! It seems you're pretty quick to review my chapters! Haha I love it! I'm glad you were able to get an emotional experience from the last chapter!

_LukaFan_: I can't tell you what'll happen! It'd be a spoiler! Ah, I'll clarify what happened with Gumi and Miku more in a future chapter. Patience, my friend! (: thanks for the review though!

_PaperCutVictim:_ yeah, I had to change the genre... XD;; humor was no longer a dominant factor to this story.. Thanks for the review and encouragement! :D now I'll go read your latest chapter, since I see you've updated it!

_Meislovely_: o.o ... Is Kuro dead?  
>And thanks for reading, guys!<p>

_Thyrokio_: As i've noticed, you're quick to catch onto those little hints I've sprinkled in! But like I just told LukaFan, everything'll be revealed in due time! Thanks for your continued support!

_Masaru2509_: your English is fine! (: it's very good! I'm glad you could feel some emotion through Miku's point of view! Thanks for reading!

_IdrewAcow:_ really? Well, I'm glad I was able to help put you in a better mood!(: and thank you for reading and always reviewing! Much appreciated!

_Reviewer:_ thanks! I've been trying to add some more emotion to the story, so I'm glad to hear that I was successful!  
>I think I'll watch another episode of it once I find the time to. XD; you make it sound like it's worth all the WTF moments.<p>

_Major Mike Powell III:_ thanks for the constant support! Haha I hope I can continue to meet your expectations, sir! *salutes*

_Psychomaid:_ XD;; I won't reply to every part of review, since we're already having a lengthy discussion on parts of it. I still plan on playing Switzerland for a little longer, though. And yes, the whole Gumi/Miku situation will continue to be revealed throughout "SoL"! Thanks for reading and reviewing!

_Chinesis' Fan:_ yes, miku did hide behind a mask. Ah! Well, you're right about Luka truly being a koneko-chan. She really fits the nickname, ne? Haha. Guess we'll have to wait and see what happens next!

Okay... I THINK I replied to everyone... If I missed you, I'm very sorry! ;o;  
>But I do appreciate all of the reviews! Thank you all so much!<br>And thank you to everyone who has continued to read SoL! I'm very grateful! o(^▽^)o

(Also. It is now 3:26 AM on Sunday, October 2… x_x insomnia… how I hate you…)

I hope to "see" you all in the next chapter!  
>Until then, take care! (^-^)


	15. Melt

**Slice of Life**

**Chapter 15 – Melt**

I have a cold. Or maybe the flu… or bronchitis… Whatever it is, I caught the virus that has been running rampant around my university's campus. x_x I've basically been sleeping and watching TV at my house all day; but it's too bad that I have to head back to uni this evening so I can keep going to classes.

On the plus side, I've come up with some good ideas from the odd dreams that I've been having because of all of this medicine I've been on!

**Disclaimer: **I only wish that I owned some Vocaloids! But in reality I'm stuck with this story.

* * *

><p>It had been an uneventful and incredibly dull afternoon at the mansion. Kaito and Meiko had taken it upon themselves to go on a week's vacation with one another, much to relief of Lily, Luka and Gakupo. The older Vocaloids were able to finally catch up on some much needed sleep. Luka had remained in her room for most of the day, only leaving to make herself a sandwich in the kitchen for lunch. As for Lily and Gakupo, both had left to go to the recording studio earlier in the day to record their next singles.<br>The younger Vocaloids, likewise, remained in their wing of the mansion. Both Rin and Len were locked inside their rooms. Although they were in separate rooms, they were easily able to check on one another by crossing through the shared bathroom that connected their rooms.

As for the members of the Secret Police…  
>They were gathered in Hatsune Miku's room. Or rather, the closet to be exact. Miku stood in the center of the closet, her teal eyes looking over the expansive wardrobe that she had collected over the years. In one hand was a red box of chocolate Pocky, and in the other was one stick of said Pocky. She took a bite from the stick, and walked in front of the section of white clothes. "What should I wear tonight?" she asked her friends.<p>

Megpoid Gumi was laying on the floor of the closet, her arms behind her head. Eyes closed and a passive expression plastered onto her face, she snorted. "Who cares?" she retorted. "Either way, you're on another date with Luka-nee. I doubt it really matters what you wear at this point." The snarky girl opened one emerald eye, and looked at Miku critically. She didn't really want to be here, giving Miku advice on what to wear on a date. Gumi was simply not that kind of person. Dressing up was not something that she was fond of, and even as a child, she never played 'dress up' like the other girls did. It had always seemed like a waste of time. And right now, she was wasting her time even trying to give Miku clothing advice. "Seriously, I wouldn't worry about what you wear. It doesn't matter."

"Ne, ne, Gumi-chan!" Miku exclaimed, as she took finished the treat that was in her hand. "Appearance is important!" Slender, teal-polished fingers plucked a simple white dress from the rack. The girl looked it over and smiled. "Like this one. I wore this on our first date!" She waved the dress over at Gumi's general direction.

The commander of the police opened her other eye, and then proceeded to roll both at Miku's statement. "Yeah, yeah. .."

"Aw, really, Miku-nee!" Furukawa Miki squealed in delight. She had been seated beside Gumi, with her knees drawn up to her chest. Up until that moment she had been silently looking around the closet, mentally creating outfits with the clothes available at hand. Unlike Gumi, Miki had played dress up as a little girl, and was quite fond of putting together a cute outfit. So when Miku had approached her asking for help, the redhead had immediately jumped at the opportunity. "That's such a cute dress! White is definitely a good color on you." The ahoge on her head bounced as Miki nodded her head.

"Thank you, Miki-chan!" Miku giggled. She hung the dress back onto the rack, and went back to browsing through her massive walk-in closet. It didn't bother her that she was dressed only in light gray sporty short shorts, and a pale pink tank top. At the moment, she wasn't trying to impress anyone. "Ne, ne, what color should I wear? Should I wear a dress, or a skirt?" The questions were shot out, rapid fire.  
>And they were beginning to make Gumi's head spin. Thankfully, Miki quickly took over the speaking role.<p>

"I think a dark color would be best for tonight, since you two are going to a rather nice restaurant," Miki mused, as she stood up. The redhead went and stood beside Miku. "Of course, white is flattering on you. But black might be a good color for dinner." Her red eyes continued to move back and forth as she looked at the clothes in the black section. With one hand, she extended her index finger and hovered over the waiting clothes. "And a dress should be appropriate. I could lend you a nice jacket, too, since it is going to be a little chilly."

Miku smiled at Miki's offer. She was grateful to have a friend like her. "Thank you, Miki-chan!"

The redhead smiled up at Miku. "You're welcome- oh!" Her finger stopped at a simple black strapless dress. Carefully, she took it down from the rack. Holding the dress out at arm's length, her red eyes critically looked over the dress, analyzing every last stitch in it. It seemed like a well-made dress, not that Miki doubted the work of the designer. After all, all of the residents of the mansion were sitting on a more than substantial sum of yen in their bank accounts. So Miki was positive that Miku's finer dresses were no bargain found at a thrift store.

"Ne?" The teal haired girl looked at the dress in her friend's hands. "That? I haven't worn it yet," she admitted, almost sheepishly. "I thought it was really cute, so I bought it... But I haven't found the right time to wear it."

Miki nodded slowly. She rubbed the cloth of the dress between her index finger and thumb. "Well, tonight is definitely a good time to wear it," she replied, as she held the dress up against Miku's torso. "Hold that." The tealette obliged, and watched as the petite girl stepped back to look her over. "Perfect!" Miki's hands clapped together as she gave Miku a warm smile.

"Really?"

"Really!" Miki squealed. "I'll be right back, I have the perfect jacket for you to wear over it!" She ran out of the closet, her ahoge bouncing wildly.

The remaining two stayed in the closet, allowing a silence to fill the area. Gumi was not eager to open her eyes and look at Miku and the dress. Nor was she ready to break the silence. After all, she wasn't interested in things like that to begin with. With a sigh, she frowned to herself… And she became aware that a shadow was suddenly cast over her.

"Do you think the dress will look good on me?" Miku asked as she stood above Gumi. When she received no response, she nudged her ex with her foot. "Gumi-chan! I need your opinion—"

"Holy shit, leave me alone," Gumi snapped back, as she smacked Miku's foot away. "You know I don't really care about stuff like this."

"But I need your help! Just tell me if it looks good on me!"

"Geez, fine…" Emerald eyes fluttered open, and squinted up at the girl hovering over her. Gumi noted that the dress was strapless, but was still modest in length, stopping a little above the knees.  
>At least there would be nothing hanging out…<br>She sat up, and shrugged her shoulders.

Miku smiled down expectantly at the other girl. "Well?"

"It's fine."

"That's a relief," Miku laughed airily. "I thought you would tell me that you hated the dress!" She skipped over to the mirror, and looked at her reflection. "Miki-chan does have a good sense of style." The tealette began to strip herself of her clothes, wanting to see how the dress would really look on her. And she figured that she might as well get dressed if she were to leave for her date on time. After all, she only half an hour to get herself ready for said date. It was a good thing that she had the foresight to shower before inviting her best friends into her room to help find an outfit.

Gumi gaped at Miku. A faint blush spread across her cheeks as she began to reprimand the teal haired girl's behavior, "Have some sense of shame! You shouldn't undress in front of people like that!" Her emerald eyes didn't know where to look. It was true, she did have some attraction to Miku, and the fact that that the girl was undressing before her was _not_ helping. Eyes wandered over the freshly exposed skin, and only served to deepen the blush on her cheeks.

"Hm?" Miku looked over her shoulder at the now scarlet faced commander. A mischievous glint appeared in her eyes, and she gave Gumi a devious smirk. Her tank top was no longer covering her torso, but had not been fully removed either, resting at her elbows. "It's rude to stare, Gumi-chan~" she sang, the teasing edge to her voice quite clear.

"Sh-shut up! I can't help it!" Gumi mumbled. Her eyes finally settled on looking at a spot on the carpet by her feet. "It's not my fault you look good all of the time."

At this Miku blushed. The offhand comment had caught her completely off guard; Gumi hadn't said something like that and seriously meant it since they were dating. "Eh?"

"Seriously.. You always look good no matter what you wear," Gumi continued, still thoroughly embarrassed. "That's why I said it didn't really matter what you wear."

Miku stared at Gumi. "Ah—well… Th-thanks…" She stammered, as she hurriedly slipped the black dress on. Hearing Gumi utter a compliment was rare enough, but two in one day? And within seconds of each other? It was unheard of! Refusing to dwell on this any longer, the teal haired girl fixed her hair, making sure the twin tails were tied appropriately.

The awkward silence that hung in the air was interrupted as Miki burst back into the closet. "Here!" She waved a black and white plaid cropped peacoat at Miku. The jacket was made of light material, but Miki was sure it would be able to provide some warmth if it became colder than expected that night. Smiling, she approached Miku and helped the teal haired girl slip the jacket on. "See? I told you, this outfit is perfect. And you probably won't want to wear heels tonight, so go with a pair of black flats." The cheerful redhead skipped over to the shoes that were neatly lined up along one wall of the closet. She selected a simple pair of black flats, and tossed them towards Miku. The teal girl slipped the flats on, and looked at her reflection in the mirror once more.

Miki smiled, and clapped her hands together ecstatically. "I knew it! This outfit is definitely you! Black and white are your colors," she nodded in agreement with her own statement. "Anyone could see that you're adorable in this!" The girl whipped out her phone and took a snapshot of Miku. The teal haired girl raised an eyebrow at the younger girl's actions. "For memories sake," Miki explained.

"R-Right…" Miku nodded, suddenly feeling nervous and a little flustered. Her cheeks were still a faint pink as she twiddled her thumbs together. "So… This is good, right?"

Both Gumi and Miki exchanged looks with one another. Was Miku losing her composure? They both looked back at the tealette who was nervously shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

"You okay?" Gumi asked, as she shoved her hands into the pockets of her black sweatpants. "You look kinda.. nervous."

Miki nodded in agreement with Gumi. "This is different. You're usually so full of confidence," she added, as she thoughtfully put a finger to her chin. "Do you really think you're ready for this date?"

The tealette stiffened a little, surprised that she had lost her composure. The mask that she normally wore was gone, and in its place were her true emotions. The teal idol was nervous and scared about how the date may go. "Ah—_Daijoubu! _I'm alright," she said quickly, offering the two a shaky smile in hopes that they would drop the matter completely. "I think things will go fine—"

Gumi was quick to interject. "Quit lying about everything, Miku." Her emerald eyes narrowed as she gave her best friend an extremely irritated look. "You're not fine. You're worried, aren't you?"

"Ah—Well—That is…" Miku gulped, and was quick to avoid making eye contact with either the green or red haired girls. "No… I'm not. I'll be alright."

"Mou, Miku-nee," the girl blessed with the curly ahoge whined. "It isn't good to keep your feelings bottled up. You'll just make yourself exhausted and stressed…" Her wide, red eyes were filled with worry as she stared at her teal friend. She silently pleaded that the teal girl would at least open up just a smidge. Miki wasn't acting for Miku to demolish the barriers that she had set up around her heart; but rather, gently take them down one by one. "Please talk to us…"

"Yeah, Miku, you know you can count on us," Gumi's expression softened a little. As frustrated as she may feel when it came to Miku, she was worried about Miku's state of mind. Miku had never been one to completely open up to someone. The tealette had always been on the secretive side, and Gumi had noticed that this aspect of Miku's personality had only been amplified upon becoming a Vocaloid. Even when the two were a couple, it was clear that the twin tailed girl was not ready to let her walls come down. "We're always going to be here for you. Plus, we're worried about you. You never let anyone know how you're doing."

"I'm fine." This time Miku heard her own voice waver a little.

"That's bull shit, and you know it," Gumi snapped. The muscles in her jaw rippled as she clenched her teeth together tightly. "How long have you been like this, huh? How come we didn't notice it sooner—You're hurting, aren't you? You've been scared or sad or _something _for a while, haven't you?" Her barrage of questions were met with silence. There was no point in trying to push Miku into admitting something that she absolutely refused to admit. Gumi knew better than anyone how stubborn Miku could be. "Whatever. See if I care how your date ends up. Don't text me in the middle of it saying that you need me to come get your sorry ass because Luka ditched you half-way through."

Miki gasped, and stared up at the vicious green haired girl. "Gumi-nee!" A look of horror was on her face. "How could you say that? We're supposed to be trying to keep her in a good mood for her date and—"

"Whatever. I'm leaving. Good luck or whatever, Miku," the commander muttered through clenched teeth. She turned on her heels and exited the closet. The bedroom door slammed shut as the irritated girl headed back to her own bedroom.

Both Miki and Miku stood in silence.

"Ah—M-Miku-nee, I'm sure that Gumi-nee didn't mean any of—"

"No, she meant it," Miku sighed. "Or, rather, most of it." A sad smile was on her face as she looked down at the petite girl who remained in the closet with her.

"M-Miku-nee… Are you crying?"

Miku was quick to wipe away the salty pools that were brimming at her eyes with the butt end of her wrist. There was no point in trying to continue her façade now that Gumi and Miki were both aware that she was _not_ okay, and that she hadn't been okay for a while. With a shake of her teal hair, she turned her back to Miki before she continued to speak. "Gumi-chan doesn't waste her words. She almost always says what she's feeling." A pause as she pulled open a drawer mounted to the wall. Her slender fingers were quick to pluck out a simple silver chain necklace with a musical note as the charm. "That's what I loved about her. That she was always honest, whether she wanted to be or not." Another drawer was pulled open. This time her teal polished fingers pulled out dangling earrings, one in the shape of a treble clef, the other shaped as a bass clef. "Gumi-chan… Is just a very blunt, very honest person. Her words can be cold, but she doesn't mean to always hurt people. Sometimes she's incapable of seeing what kind of affect her words may have on people, but in the end she finds a way to right her wrongs."

Miki only listened in silence as she watched the somber girl put on her selected accessories. Was this how Miku really was when no one was around? Did she always speak with such a melancholic voice?

"But Gumi-chan is just so loveable!" Miku's laugh was half-hearted. "She doesn't like physical contact or extremely personal exchanges, but secretly craves to be loved by someone." The smile on her face only seemed to dull in brilliance as she continued to speak of the green haired girl. "It would be a lie if I said I didn't notice that Gumi-chan had only been helping me because she wants me to be happy with someone. I think that deep down, she's a little angry with me because that someone isn't her. After all, I never did give her a reason for why I had left her…"

"You never told her why you broke up with her?"

"Never… But I do plan on telling her sometime soon. I just feel so awful about it… I can tell that it haunts her every time that we make eye contact. It's like… The look in her eyes change. She'll be fine, and then suddenly it looks like she's trying to protect herself from me. I hate that. I just want things between us to be completely okay again."

"O-oh…"

"Ne, Miki-chan! Maybe if things end badly with Luka-senpai, I could date Gumi-chan again!"

At this, Miki felt her heart drop. Gumi had admitted to her only yesterday that she did feel some sort of attraction to Miku… Left over feelings from their previous romance. But did this mean that they were not unrequited feelings? Did Miku still have some feelings for Gumi…? Her expression became pained as she thought about Miku and Gumi dating once more. "So—Miku-nee—Do you…?"

And the teal haired girl took notice of this change on Miki's face. "Ah, don't worry, Miki-chan. I don't think I like Gumi-chan that way anymore," she said reassuringly. "I was only kidding."  
><em>'Mostly kidding'<em>, Miku thought to herself. Gumi was quite attractive. But she was quick to dismiss this from her mind. She had already vowed to support Miki and Gumi. She couldn't jump ships and start shipping herself with Gumi! "I'm alright with you wanting to chase after her. Heck, I'll even do my best to help you get past Gumi's walls!"

A sigh of relief escaped Furukawa Miki's lips. One hand gently rested over her heart as she let out another sigh. "Ah, r-really?" she stammered. "That's really nice of you!" The smile was back on Miki's face. Hands clasped behind her back, she swung from the balls of her feet to her heels, and back again. "I really do like Gumi-nee, but I don't think she likes me that way."

Miku raised a brow at this. She folded her arms across her chest, and began to drum her fingers of her right hand against her left forearm. "Hm… Well, we could eventually find out how she feels," she said, as she nodded her head once. Ideas were already springing into her mind of how to coax Gumi into telling her how she felt about their red haired _kouhai_. "It'd be so easy—Oh! And tonight is such a great night for you to get even closer to her!"

"Huh?" The hopeful look on Miki's face vanished and was replaced with complete and utter confusion.

"Ne, ne!" Miku wagged a teal polished finger at Miki. "Trust me on this! I'm going on a date with Luka-senpai tonight, right?"

"Well—Yes. Of course, that's why you asked Gumi-nee and me to help—"

"So!" The teal haired girl didn't care that she had interrupted Miki. She was simply too excited by her own idea. "You and Gumi-chan could go follow us!"

"I think Gumi-nee was originally planning on doing that.. But I'm not sure if she'll do that now…" The petite girl peered into the drawers that Miku had pulled open. Fascinated with the assortment of jewelry, she couldn't help but reach in and pull out a necklace for a better look at it.

"Oh, no, she probably will," Miku gushed. "Actually, scratch that. Even if she's mad at me, she'd want to make sure that I was okay. That's the kind of person that she is."

"Ah, y-yes, I suppose so… That does sound like she would do that…" Her fingers traced the cursive 'M' charm attached to the chain in her hands.

"Right! And while you two are watching us, you could both go out for dinner at the restaurant, too!"

The necklace slipped from Miki's grip, but Miku was quick to catch the necklace before it hit the floor.

"Wh-wh-what?" Miki stammered, her face suddenly exploding with a deep shade of red. "G-G-Gumi-nee—Me—A date?" The thought was completely ridiculous. There was no way that could possibly happen.

Miku giggled at her friend's adorable reaction. "Aw, you're just so cute!" she sang, as she pulled Miki into a hug. "A date! It's so perfect! Why didn't I think of that sooner? It's the perfect opportunity. You and Gumi-chan can have dinner at a table a little away from mine and watch… And if things get boring for you two, you could always chat her up and hint at her that you like her!"

The red haired girl felt her head spin as her brain struggled to process the information that had been forced upon it. Things were happening too quickly… At this rate…

"And, of course, you'll have to get dressed—Ah! Here, borrow this!" Miku kept one arm wrapped around Miki, securing the girl to her. With her free hand, she pulled a pale pink dress with a black ribbon wrapped around the waist. At the back, the ribbon was neatly tied into a large bow. "It'll be adorable on you! Quick, get dressed!"

"B-But-! Eep!"

Without obtaining any sort of permission, the excited tealette pulled Miki's t-shirt off, along with the pair of sweatpants that she had been wearing. "TAKE IT ALL OFF, MIKI-CHAN!"

"NOOOOOO! GUMI-NEE! SAVE ME!"

* * *

><p>"<em>Don't forget, you need to be dressed up for the restaurant, too. I know we're just watching Miku-nee and Lily-nee, but we can't get into the restaurant to watch them if we aren't dressed properly... and please never leave me alone with Miku-nee again...<br>-Miki"_

Gumi stared at her phone's screen. Even after saying those words to Miku, she was still planning on tailing the tealette. Yes, she did feel a little bad about snapping at her friend like that, but there was no way she could contain those words within her mind. They just needed to get out. The girl set the phone down on her bed, and forced herself off of it's comforting embrace.

Get dressed.  
>For some restaurant.<p>

Geez, this sounded like helping Miku was more trouble than it was worth.

Wait. What did that last sentence say?  
>Gumi looked back at her phone. She could only imagine what Miki must have gone through.<p>

* * *

><p>The pinkette glanced at the silver wristwatch that was strapped to her wrist. She was early by 15 minutes. It was a habit of hers to arrive to any engagement at least ten minutes early… But she was ahead of herself this time. She blamed her nerves.<br>Her blue eyes glanced over at the window, and she took in her reflection on the clean glass. It was not an act of vanity, as some may have wrongly assumed. But rather, she wanted to make sure that she had not over-dressed or under-dressed. After all, appearance may not be the most important thing when it came to a date, but it was still a heavy factor.

The dress that she wore was pale blue in color, and gently hugged her already curvy body. It cut off just above her knees, and spread out loosely towards the end. This particular dress had one strap, which served as a tie to hold the dress together. The two strands of the strap tied together into a neat little bow that rested snugly against her shoulder. Her long pink hair had been left down, only because Luka had spent most of her time flipping through dresses.  
>She nodded once in approval of her outfit. It seemed appropriate enough.<p>

"Ah, Luka-senpai! You look so pretty!" Hatsune Miku popped up beside Luka, a wide smile on her face. "I'm sorry if I kept you waiting—I had to help Miki-chan get ready for her date."

"Oh, no, I only just arrived myself-…" Luka blinked, and looked down at Miku.  
>Did she really just say that Miki was on a date?<p>

The tealette only giggled at the dumbstruck expression that had suddenly slapped itself onto Luka's face. "Yes, Miki-chan is on a date of sorts," she explained to the best of her ability. It wasn't an official date… but if Gumi and Miki were getting dinner together, Miku _supposed_ that it could be called a date.

"Who…?" Luka shook her head. "May I ask who she's going on a date with?" As sudden as this news may be, and as surprising as it was… The kitten help but be a little curious.

"Gumi-chan, of course!" Miku answered, as she began to stride towards the door of the restaurant. She thanked the doorman that graciously held the door open for her and Luka.

Luka followed a step behind Miku, nodding at the answer she had received. "Oh, well that's—Wait, _Gumi-chan?"_ This new piece of information was the equivalent of being drenched with cold water. "Miki-chan—Gumi-chan—?"

The tealette exchanged some quick words with the hostess before she looked back at Luka. "Ne? Oh, right," she blinked a few times. "I did tell you that they weren't dating… But I think there's a shot that they may end up as a couple one day." The girl followed the hostess towards a secluded corner of the restaurant, away from the prying eyes of the press. The hostess halted beside a corner booth, and was quick to light the candle that served as a center piece before leaving the pair alone.

"Ah—R-really now?" There was no shaking the dumbstruck tone in her voice. Instead of choosing to deal with the amount of WTF that had just been dished out to her, Luka decided to simply follow Miku and the hostess. "That's.. Well… Lovely…"

Miku carefully slid into one side of the booth, the smile on her face wider than ever before. "Isn't it?" she squealed. "I'm so glad to see that they're getting dinner together!"

The pinkette took her seat opposite from Miku, and offered the girl a smile. "Yes, that is nice," she agreed. "I just wasn't expecting the two of them to go on a date so suddenly." She paused and tilted her head slightly to one side. "Do you know where they're going to have dinner?"

"Oh! Well, they're actually already here. See?" Miku discreetly pointed at a table a little bit away from them.

The table in question was small, made only for a couple. Two girls sat opposite from one another, with vastly different expressions. On the red haired girl's face was a mixture of elation and nervousness. The green haired girl sitting across from her looked embarrassed that she was out in public wearing a dress.

"Ah—I never would have recognized Gumi-chan in that," Luka breathed, almost in awe. "She's so… adorable."

Miku nodded in agreement. "I know, right! I bought her that dress a while back as a joke gift… I didn't think she would ever wear it."

Both Miku and Luka looked Gumi over with critical eyes.  
>Gumi was dressed in a white dress that hugged her torso, and billowed out at an angle towards the end of her dress, the left side being shorter than the right. A pick-up style dress. Beneath the layer of white at the bottom of her skirt was a layer of black which peeked out from beneath the white layers. At the top of her dress, lining her bust, was a black lace trim made to taunt anyone who dared to gaze at her well-rounded chest. Unlike Miki's dress, Gumi's had thin black straps. And Gumi's legs? They were covered in a light black, almost gray, stockings, worn only to provide some warmth. White satin ribbons were tied around her left leg, and made a little bow just below her knee. Her shoes were also white in color, and complimented her dress. But most surprising of all was the fact that Gumi had voluntarily left her signature red goggles at the mansion. In place of the goggles was a miniature, chic, black top hat with a white bow.<p>

"Yeah… I definitely wouldn't have recognized her," Luka restated. "She just looks so pretty. I don't understand why she doesn't dress up more, I'm sure she could make anyone fall head over heels for her."

Miku shrugged, and picked up the black leather bound menus that had been placed onto the table. "She doesn't like to dress up," she explained. "She's a little bit of a tomboy, I suppose. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I think that style fits her perfectly… But… She is pretty when she dresses up like this."

The pinkette simply nodded in agreement as she glanced through her own menu. A peaceful silence fell over their table as the pair skimmed through the available meals. It wasn't long before their waiter came to take their orders. Both girls quickly selected something, and the waiter went scurrying off to put the orders into the kitchen. Once the waiter was gone, the two launched into idle conversation; the weather, work. It was pleasant enough, similar to the conversations that they had had back when they went to the café on their last date.

Luka was content with this. Learning more about the other girl was a good thing, she concluded, and would only help her when the time came to select between her two suitors. "Ah, Miku-chan."

"And one day, I really want to go to—Hm?" Miku stopped mid-sentence and raised a brow at Luka.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," Luka gave the younger girl an apologetic smile. "But I was wondering, what was your life like before you moved into the mansion?"

"My life?" Miku repeated, unsure if she had heard the other correctly.

"Yes."

"What part of my life did you want to hear about?"

"All of it."

The teal haired girl picked up her glass, and swirled it around, her eyes focused on the water that swished within it. "Ah, well," she smiled a little bit. "I was a really shy kid growing up. I had a hard time making friends because I was afraid of embarrassing myself. But I did manage to make some friends. A few of the neighborhood kids that I grew up with went to the same elementary and junior high schools as me, so we were all close back then," she explained, before she took a sip of water. "I _guess_ I was popular enough… People never really said anything bad about me or anything like that. My grades were good and the teachers liked me because I was always very polite. My parents were big on manners, too, since I'm an only child. They didn't want me to bring about a bad reputation to our family name."

Luka nodded. That was typical. Most parents would want their kids to grow up to be polite, well-mannered adults.

"But being so shy had its drawbacks," Miku continued. "You know how we have to take exams for the high schools we want to go to?" Luka nodded. "Well, I ended up getting into the school that I wanted to go to. I was really excited until I realized that none of my friends would be going there with me."

"Ah, I understand," the pinkette smiled a little bit. "The same thing happened to me—"

"But Lily-nee went to the same high school as you, didn't she?"

"Oh—Yes. Lily-chan did."

"You were lucky to have her there with you," the tealette said, as she set her glass back down on the table. "My best friend back then went to a different high school. We stopped talking once we started our first year of high school, and I never felt more alone. But I met Gumi-chan, and things changed after that!" Her expression lightened as she reminisced over old memories. "Gumi-chan helped me open up a little bit more to people. She told me I couldn't be a little girl forever, and that I needed to grow up." There was a pause as she laughed a little. "And when news first spread around the school that I was going to audition to be a Vocaloid, Gumi-chan was the one to stop any awful rumors from spreading about me."

Luka's smile widened at the sight. "Gumi-chan sounds like a very good friend."

"She's my best friend," Miku agreed.

"Ah, I see.. I'm glad that she was able to help you, though," the pinkette added. "It seems like Gumi-chan, to you, is what Lily-chan is to me. Best friends."

The two looked at one another, each thinking about their best friend.  
>Each had their own mixed feelings toward their best friend.<br>Luka was struggling to come to terms with what she felt for Lily. Or how she would deal with those feelings.  
>Miku was struggling to find a way to rid her friendship of the iciness that would make itself known when she was alone with Gumi.<p>

"Maybe we're more alike than we thought," Miku whispered. "I thought that we were completely different, but…"

Luka gulped, and nodded slowly. "After listening to you… I realize now that we're similar. We're both shy deep down," she pointed out. "Well, I tend to be shy most of the time."

The tealette smiled a little bit. "And we both have, ah, problems with our best friends."

"Right.."

* * *

><p>"Oi—Onee-chan, watch it!"<p>

"Shaddup, Len!" Rin snapped back, as she mercilessly shoved Len's face into the bushes.  
>The pair of blondes were huddled together outside of the restaurant, hiding behind the bushes. Once again, they wore matching outfits. Both were dressed in black skinny jeans, all black Vans, and black zip-up track jackets. Once again, they were going for an inconspicuous outfit.<br>And once again, they failed.

The elder twin peeked through the windows of the restaurant, eyes searching for her targets. No, she hadn't been specifically asked by Lily to sabotage a date or anything. In fact, Lily had told the twins before she left for the studio to not do anything to mess up Luka and Miku's date. But, alas, Rin didn't hear anything about messing up _Gumi_ and _Miki's_ date.

When their red haired Onee-chan told the twins that she was going on a date with Gumi, both of the twins congratulated her. But once Miki had sped off to meet Gumi at the car, the twins sat in Len's room, thinking.  
>If Gumi and Miki went on a date and things went well, then there would be more dates in the future.<br>And if all of those dates went well, then Gumi and Miki may potentially become an "official" couple.  
>And if they were to be a couple, then Miki would spend more time with Gumi.<br>And if things were to advance enough, then Miki would end up spending her nights in Gumi's room…  
>Leaving the Kagamine twins alone. They would have no one to go to whenever they had a nightmare.<p>

And Rin found this to be completely unacceptable. Of course, Len, on the other hand, had been perfectly fine with the idea of Gumi and Miki becoming an item. In fact, he was excited to see Miki so happy about this date. The only reason he followed his sister, aside from the fact that he was practically dragged to the restaurant, was so he could stop his sister from ruining any shot at happiness that Miki may have.

Rin smacked her fist into the open palm of her other hand. "_Yosh!_" she declared, as she spotted the red head and green haired girls. "I have a plan that'll make Miki-nee all ours!"

"Onee-chan, I really think we should just leave them alone…" Len muttered, as he spat out a few leaves. With the back of his hand, he wiped the odd taste of leaves from his tongue. "Miki-nee would probably be really upset if we screw things up for her. You _know_ how much she likes Gumi-nee."

"BUT I WANT TO KEEP HAVING SLEEPOVERS WITH MIKI-NEE!" Rin roared, as she jumped up from her hiding place.

"Onee-chan, calm down-!"

"NEVER!" The elder twin gripped onto the collar of her brother's jacket with both hands and furiously shook him to and fro. "YOU HEAR ME? NEVER! MIKI-NEE IS OURS! GUMI-NEE CAN'T HAVE HER SLEEPING OVER!"

Several people passing by jumped back as the blonde hopped out from the bushes. The girl was still clutching onto her brother's jacket, and she ignored his feebly protests as she ran to the back of the restaurant. "We're gonna break in through the air vents, and drop fire crackers on their table!" she declared. Her sneakers almost groaned in protest as she came to a screeching halt. With both hands now, she lifted Len up into the air. "READY?"

"W-Wait! Put me down-!"

"You're gonna pull me up there once you're on the roof!"

"ONEE-CHAN THIS IS A BAD IDEA- AAH!"

Rin flung her brother through the air, hoping he would land on the roof of the restaurant. When she heard a satisfying thud and a moan of pain come from the roof, she grinned. "Aaawwright! I knew that would work—Oh.. There's a ladder." Her blue eyes stared at the slightly rusted metal ladder that was attached to the side of the building. It had been placed there for any maintenance crew to work on the ventilation systems found on the roof. "Huh… Guess I didn't need to throw Len up there…" With a shrug of her shoulders, Rin climbed up the ladder and joined her brother on the roof. She stood above him, and nudged at his limp body with her sneaker. "Oi, let's go! We gotta date to mess up!"

Len shuddered in pain as he curled up into a ball. He shut his eyes tight, and silently wondered what deity he could have possibly pissed off to deserve such abuse on a regular basis.

* * *

><p>Miki's ahoge twitched when she turned her attention to the window of the restaurant. Although they were a bit away from one, she could have sworn she saw a familiar yellow bullet zoom by. "Ah, Gumi-nee, did you hear something?" she asked, as she set her menu down on the table.<p>

"No…"

"Weird…" Miki frowned a little bit. "It sounded like Rin-chan was just outside of the restaurant."

"You're just hearing things. Why the hell would—"

"You're in a restaurant, Gumi-nee. Try to stop swearing while we're here."

"… Whatever."

* * *

><p>Miku took a sip from her glass of water, her teal eyes looking at Luka expectantly. If she remembered correctly, Lily was the one who had told her that Luka was a romanticist and adored quiet dinners like this. If all went well, then maybe Miku would be able to gain a few points with Luka… If not, then she wasn't sure what she would do next. Things were becoming a bit too complicated, and it was beginning to overwhelm her. But based on their conversation, it did seem like Luka was genuinely interested in her. Which came as a relief to her.<p>

"Miku-chan?" Luka interrupted the teal haired girl's thoughts. "Are you alright?"

The teal haired girl was quick to respond, "Ah—yes, I'm fine." She offered the older girl a smile. It was effortless now for her to put on her mask and hide behind it.

"Then… May I ask you something?"

"Of course, Luka-senpai."

Luka took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. She needed to collect herself before she continued onward. "Are you _really _alright?" Her blue eyes looked at the younger girl carefully. "Maybe it's just my imagination, but whenever I see you around the mansion, you seem troubled. You may be smiling, but your smile…" Another pause as she tried to phrase her thoughts properly. "Your smile doesn't seem to reach your eyes. Your eyes look sad, or scared… And when you were talking, too, you seemed a little distant. Like you were upset with the past… Is there something bothering you?"

At this, Miku stiffened a little. Had Luka always been so perceptive? She had been so sure that her mask, her walls, were unbreakable. Not even Gumi had picked up right away on the turmoil that Miku had been feeling lately. "Ah.. Well, that is…" She shrugged her slender, exposed shoulders, and looked down at her lap. "I don't want to be a bother. This is a date, you should be having fun, not worrying about me." One of her teal-polished hands clenched into a fist on the table. This was bad. She hadn't been expecting Luka to bring up such a topic over dinner. What was bothering her even more was the fact that she wasn't able to recompose herself… Being caught off guard twice in one day, once by Gumi and now by Luka. She was losing any sort of control that she had over herself.

The pinkette shook her head, and sighed. "Miku-chan, it's alright. I'm very good at listening to others," she said softly, as she reached out and put her hand on top of Miku's fist. The smaller hand trembled, and almost pulled away, but Luka was quick to give it a gentle squeeze. "I'm worried about you… You don't need to keep your guard up all of the time."

Miku bit down on her bottom lip. No, she wasn't ready to pour her heart out to anyone, let alone Luka. This was bad.

* * *

><p>Gumi's emerald eyes continued to glance back at Miku's table. It would seem that the tealette was upset about something and Luka was trying to tear down the walls that Miku had built up around her heart. <em>"Good luck, Luka-nee… I hope you know what you're getting yourself into…"<em> she thought to herself.

Miki looked at her "date", and sighed. The whole night Gumi had been so focused on dissecting Luka and Miku's every move. And she was growing tired of being ignored. "Gumi-nee, you shouldn't stare at them," she pointed out.

"Can't help it," Gumi replied gruffly, as she frowned at Miki. With one hand, she adjusted the top hat on her head so it would not slide off. "She looks like she's hurting. I definitely wasn't expecting that to happen, since she's on a date with Luka-nee."

"I know, me neither," Miki admitted. "But, you know, you look like you're hurting every time you look at Miku-nee and Luka-nee. I know you aren't ready to talk about the past, but I just want you to know that I'm right here… When the time comes, I'll listen to whatever you have to say. Because, well… I like you, and I'm really worried about you." Her cheeks flushed as her red eyes darted away, choosing to focus on the white tablecloth. "I'm worried about you and Miku-nee, actually… Even though you both have some problems with each other, you're really similar… You're both in pain and refuse to let anyone in to help you."

The green haired girl stared at Miki, her mouth opening and then closing as she struggled to find the right thing to say. Hearing genuine words like that tore at her heart. She had no idea that Miki _liked_ her, let alone even paid close attention to her behavior.

"I—I just want to help you. I know Miku-nee won't let me help her right now," Miki added, almost tripping over her own words. "But—But, it seems like Luka-nee will be able to find a way to heal Miku-nee… So.. I just want to be able to do the same for you." Her voice faded out towards the end. Admittedly, the ahoge'd girl was shocked that she had revealed so much about her own thoughts and desires to Gumi.

The commander of the Secret Police remained silent for another moment. She took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. "Ah… I see…" She muttered. "Thank you…"

At this, Miki smiled a little. It wasn't the answer she had been hoping for. But a "thank you" gave her some hope. Maybe she would be able to find a way to help Gumi.

* * *

><p>"Onee-chan! This is disgusting! It's so dusty in here!" Len coughed, as he crawled behind his sister.<br>The two were cramped in the air vents, and it was a miracle that they were able to squeeze into the metal rectangular pipes.

"Geez, Len! Don't you ever shut up? I swear, you sound like a girl when you whine all of the time," Rin retorted. One hand held onto a yellow flashlight, which illuminated their pathway. She maneuvered her free hand to reach into her back pocket and pull out the folded sheet of paper. The elder twin put the flashlight into her mouth, and unfolded the paper. Messily scribbled onto the page was the blueprint for the restaurant's air system. It was something that she had jotted down before leaving the mansion, and she was glad that she had it with her. "Right. So their table is here, so we should go this way, _imouto-chan." _The neurotic twin turned to the left and continued to crawl through the air vents.

"Wha—I'm not your little sister!" Len whined as he followed her.

"You might as well be. Everyone's right to call you a 'shotacon' and all that."

"Onee-chan!"

* * *

><p>Miku jumped up from her seat. She couldn't stay in this suffocating atmosphere, or stay under the gaze of those blue eyes any longer. Not when they were expecting some sort of answer from her. "I-I'm sorry. I can't—Sorry," she apologized quickly before fleeing from the restaurant.<p>

"Miku-chan!" Luka stood up. "Ah-…" She quickly fished out her wallet, and set down some money on the table. Their food hadn't arrived yet, but it would be wrong to not pay for their troubles. "Miku-chan!" She ran after the younger girl.

* * *

><p>"Miku?" Gumi's emerald eyes looked away from the flustered red head before her, and took note of the tealette and pinkette that had rushed out of the restaurant. "Shoot—Miki-chan, we have to go." The commander stood up, grabbed the petite girl's hand, and ran out of the restaurant as well.<p>

Miki stumbled behind Gumi, her ahoge bouncing as they went. "Ah—But—The food?"

"We didn't even order."

"Oh yeah…" Miki wasn't going to mention that Gumi was holding her hand. Oh no. She was taking pleasure in this, even if they were running down the sidewalk like mad men.

* * *

><p>For the most part, the side walk was clear of pedestrians, much to her relief. The girl slowed her pace down to a walk, and then stopped at the corner of the street. The cool night air condensed her warm breath, allowing her gasps for air to be visible. "Ah… <em>Baka<em>," Miku groaned to herself, as she gulped down air. "I lost my cool… And to run out on Luka-senpai like that…" She shook her head, and looked around. It didn't seem like she had been followed by anyone, and she was grateful that tonight she had not been hawked down by the paparazzi.

The teal haired girl crossed the road, and continued to walk along the side walk. She turned her teal eyes up to the sky, and was slightly disappointed that the lights of the city blocked out the stars. "I really messed up that date… Running away like that… I wouldn't be surprised if Luka-senpai picks Lily-nee over me," she continued to speak to herself. "They _are_ best friends, after all…"

A light breeze kicked in, and sent shivers through Miku's slender frame. The girl regretted dashing out of the restaurant without picking her jacket up from the back of her chair. But this was no time for petty thoughts. She needed to just get back to her room and sleep the rest of the night away. She quickened her pace, heading towards the general direction of the mansion.

"_Chotto matte!"_ a voice shouted. "Wait!"

Miku stiffened a little bit. "Ah—I'm sorry, Luka-senpai!" She began to run once again. "Just forget about tonight and go be with Lily-nee—a'dwah!" The tealette was jerked back by the flushed pinkette, who had pulled onto her hand to stop her from running away once more.

Luka was gasping for air, but she refused to let the younger girl go. She had just run from the restaurant, desperately chasing after the tealette. There was _no chance in hell_ that she would let Miku get away so quickly. "First thing's first…" She said, once she had recovered her breath. "We're still on a date. It'd be rude if you just left me like that."

"Wha-?" Miku stared at the taller girl, eyes wide. After all of that running, all Luka had to say to her was 'Hey, there! We're still on our date so don't run away, okay?'?  
>Maybe something was seriously wrong with Luka.<br>"Luka-senpai, are you feeling—Oh…"

The pinkette shoved the black and white plaid jacket into Miku's arms as she looked away. "I brought your jacket along, too," she said. "It's cold out, and you don't want to catch a cold when you have a tour coming up, right?" Luka was embarrassed by her actions. It was un-lady like, and extremely out of character, for her to run around in a dress during the evening… And then to grab Miku and basically tell her not to leave? It was something Luka would not have normally done.

"Th-thank you," Miku mumbled sheepishly, as she pulled the jacket on.

"You're welcome." Luka was quiet for a moment before she began to walk past Miku. "I may have spoken out of turn earlier… But I just wanted you to realize that you don't need to keep things buried within yourself."

The tealette frowned a little bit as she walked beside the older girl. "But I'm _fine—"_

"Clearly, you're not okay if you ended up running away like that," Luka pointed out. She ran her hand through her hair and sighed. "I may not understand what is going on in your mind, but I understand why you're acting like this. If it weren't for Lily being there for me, I would probably be the same way. Secretive.." She paused, and shook her head. "It's okay to lean on someone if you need to. And sometimes it's even harder to do that when the one person you want to lean on is the person that you're hurting, right?"

"Ah—How did you know that—"

"Because it's the same with me at the moment," Luka answered. "I'm afraid to talk to Lily about everything that's going on right now because I know that deep down, being involved with both her and you is hurting her. It's hurting you, too, and me as well." She looked down at the wide-eyed tealette. "But I understand how you're feeling, Miku-chan. You're worried about me, and yourself, and Lily-chan.. And, of course, Gumi-chan and Miki-chan, right?"

"R-Right…" Miku sighed, and looked away from Luka. "How did you know all of that? Was it obvious?"

"Mm.. No, it wasn't," the elder girl answered. "But I only noticed because you didn't go out of your way to say good morning to me every day like you normally did. And when we did see each other, even though we were with everyone else, your smiles just became more and more fake."

Miku nodded slowly. It was true, she had been trying to keep her façade up.

"But it only became crystal clear once you started talking about Gumi-chan and about high school. You're afraid to open up to people because you ultimately don't want to get hurt. I'm the same way," Luka laughed a little bit at this revelation. Her light blue eyes glanced at the weary tealette beside her. "Maybe we can help each other. Heal each other, possibly." She held a hand out to Miku, and gave her a warm smile. "At least just for now… Tonight. Tonight, I'm yours, and I'll listen to you and be here for you if you need me."

The once secretive and guarded tealette could only look up at Luka in shock. Miku was very aware of the stinging of salty tears that were pooling at the edge of her eyes. She smiled, and quickly wiped them away with the sleeve of her jacket. "R-Right," she said shakily. "Just tonight…" Her teal polished fingers laced themselves with Luka's blue polished fingers.

The pinkette smiled, her cheeks flushing a little at the contact. "Now… Since we're still on a date, I think we should get food," she mused, as she looked around the city street. Her eyes spotted a pork bun stand, and she led the younger girl towards it. "It's chilly out, and I'm sure a nice, fresh, pork bun will warm the both of us right up."

Miku leaned against Luka's arm, and let out a giggle. "Pork buns on a date… We're so classy."

"Very classy."

The two laughed as they stood in front of the vendor's stand. After placing their orders, Miku pulled out the money, refusing to let Luka pay for the food. "You already did a lot for me tonight, and I was the one who asked you out on this date. So I should be the one to pay for the food," she insisted.

Luka simply shook her head, but allowed the younger girl to pay for the buns. She was not about to tell Miku that she had left an ample amount of money on the table back at the restaurant. Now just didn't seem like the most appropriate time for that.

Pork buns in their free hands, they pair walked back towards the mansion. Occasionally, one would give the other a reassuring squeeze of the hand. And the other girl would return the gesture. They were both quiet as they munched on their simple meal, each relishing in the comfort that the other offered on this chilly autumn evening. Soon, tall city buildings were replaced with trees. The sidewalk led them towards a gated community, and the trees were eventually kept behind the gates of the large homes that lined the street. The pinkette was hit with a wave of déjà vu as she watched the younger girl key in the code to open the gates. She allowed Miku to lead them up the gravel driveway.

"Luka-senpai?"

"Yes, Miku-chan?"

"Now that you know about _me,"_ she began slowly. "What about you? You mentioned that you were feeling… Stressed. I want you to lean on me if you have to." Miku stopped in front of the large wood doors. The teal girl checked to see if Luka's other hand was vacant before she grabbed it and swung both of their hands. A genuine smile was on her face as she looked up at the older girl. "If I can lean on you, you can lean on me. Not just for tonight, but every night. Every day, even."

Luka didn't need to look in a mirror to envision how dark her cheeks were probably becoming at the moment. "O-Oh.."

"Yup. Tonight… Was a bit of a roller coaster, ne?" Miku giggled. She took a step towards Luka, and her expression softened. "It wasn't what I hoped it would be.. But I think it was still worth it in the end."

"I think so, too," Luka agreed. "Thank you for tonight—"

"No, no. I should be the one thanking you," Miku shook her head. She wrapped her arms around Luka, and hugged her tightly. Rather than drag out the hug, Miku was quick to step back. With her hands now clasped behind her back, she gave Luka a sheepish expression. "You're really something else, Luka-senpai." She turned on her heels, and headed into the mansion. The door did not shut behind her, for Miku knew Luka would enter soon enough.

The pinkette watched the teal haired girl hurry up the steps and turn towards the appropriate hallway. She sighed, and shook her head. The date had been _much_ different than an average date. But now she knew more about Miku. And the things that she had learned about the younger girl was quite surprising.  
>But what was most surprising was that there had been no attempt to steal another kiss.<p>

Hatsune Miku was full of surprises..

* * *

><p>The commander of the Secret Police smiled a little bit as she leaned against the wall of the building, hidden within an alleyway within the city. She had been listening to Megurine Luka's words of comfort, and it had come as a relief to hear Miku accept them. "Good.. Miku's fine," she breathed, as she stood up straight. She felt pressure being applied to her right hand, and she looked down at her companion.<br>Oh. She had forgotten that she had dragged the other girl from the restaurant to here.

Furukawa Miki smiled up at Gumi. "Luka-nee sure knows the right things to say when it comes to times like this, huh?" The younger girl pulled her hand out of Gumi's grip, and plucked the top hat off the green haired girl's head. Still smiling, she placed the hat on her own head and stuck her tongue out cheekily at Gumi. "Now that _their _date is getting better, how about we start working on _ours?"_ she asked, almost shyly.

Gumi blushed, and rolled her eyes. "It's not a real date. We're just acting so Luka-nee won't be suspicious," she reminded the other girl. Too bad she was completely unaware that Miku and Miki were expecting this mock date to become a real one.

"Ah, right, right," Miki pouted a little bit. "But, can we at least grab something to eat? I mean.. They did head home now, after all… And we're still in the city."

"Oh yeah," Gumi's brows creased together. "Yeah, we can get dinner… Did you wanna go back to that restaurant or—"

"McDonald's."

"... What?"

"McDonald's for dinner!" Miki repeated. She skipped out of the alley, heading towards the trademark golden arches of the fast food chain. "It's cheap and fast and always good."

Gumi shook her head, and shoved her hands into the pockets of her cropped black peacoat. "Okay. Fine, whatever. We'll get McDonald's."

Miki squealed in delight, but stopped when she heard her phone begin to ring. "Eh?" She slipped the phone out from her clutch purse, and stared at the screen. "Kokoro" was playing, and the name "Kagamine Rin" was displayed. "That's weird…"

"Might as well answer it," Gumi shrugged.

"Okay.." Miki answered the phone. "_Moshii, moshii._"

"MIKI-NEE! ONEE-CHAN!" Rin's voice nearly exploded the speaker for the cell phone. "Don't be mad but I need a really big favor to ask of you—"

"ONEE-CHAN GOT US ARRESTED!" This time it was Len's voice that shot through the speaker. "I TOLD HER IT WAS A BAD IDEA, BUT NOOOOOOO—"

"SHUT UP LEN, I'M ON THE PHONE!" Rin shouted at her brother.

Both Miki and Gumi stared at the cell phone.  
><em>Arrested?<em>

"Rin-chan…" Miki said slowly, as she shut her eyes. She was mentally bracing herself for the load of WTF that was sure to follow. "What exactly happened…?"

"Well, let's just say we accidentally set off some fire crackers in a restaurant. And let's say that a table caught on fire… And let's just say that we're at the police station now. And we kinda need someone to bail us out."

"Oh my—Okay, okay… I'll be there soon…" Miki hung up the phone and looked at Gumi.

Gumi shrugged her shoulders, and kept her hands firmly planted in her coat pockets. "Guess we'll have to get our food to go, huh?"

* * *

><p><strong>Note: <strong>Huzzah. Awkward date chapter. I'm sorry. I've been sick all day, so I've been writing this story while I was on medication. So I hope that this chapter turned out okay.

_Reviewer Replies:_

_PaperCutVictim:_ xD; I figured that after Miku's chapter, there needed to be some sort of comedic relief. Hahah. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter! :D Can't wait to see an update from you!

_Jak656:_ XDDD Lily is rather violent when she gets riled up, huh? Thanks for reading! (Let me know how things turn out when you get the chance to use that little trick! (: )

_IdrewAcow:_ I love seeing how split my reviewers are on who Luka should be with. But thanks for the review, and for reading the story! :D Much appreciated!

_Psychomaid:_ LOL. The image of someone mindlessly babbling about konko-chan and koinu-chan made me laugh. But yes, I do understand what you're saying. XD I told you, Rin's definitely the wild-card of the group. :P Thanks for the review!

_Mr Kat is hot:_ No offense taken! A lot of people are split between Lily and Miku, so I don't mind that you don't like Miku. xD At this point it's either you love her or hate her, I suppose. After all, we're already 15 chapters in. XD;; I like Lily, too… Out of my versions of the Vocaloids, she's one of my favorites.. Her and Gumi, actually. :P Thanks for the review and for reading!

_LukaFan:_ LOL I SAW THAT VIDEO! Those kids were pretty dumb. Hahaha. Ah, my goldfish are really mellow. Not.. violent…. But thanks! :D

_Major Mike Powell III: _Oh man, I love seeing your review. It's always fun to read. Hahaha. You don't like Len at all, huh? XD Everytime something happens to him, you always "LOL".

_Masaru: _Gumi is a very determined person… I don't think nixing a fish would linger on her conscious for too long! And yes, the characters living in the mansion are the Crypton Vocaloids, Internet Co.'s Vocaloids, and Miki. Yuki-chan is the fish. xD; Sorry for the confusion! And thanks for reading and reviewing!

_Dingos:_ I love a crazy Rin. That's why I write her that way. :P I'm glad you really enjoyed the chapter, though! Thanks for reading and reviewing!

Okay. I think that's everyone. I think. I'm not sure. The room is sort of spinning right now… Curse these cold medicines. X_x;

Anyway. Thank you all for reading! I hope to see you all again in the next chapter!


	16. Satellite

**Slice of Life**

**Chapter 16 – Satellite**

Ah, another chapter! I'd like to apologize that it's starting to take longer and longer for me to update. X_x; That aside, I hope that you enjoy this chapter!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Vocaloids. Okay.

* * *

><p>The lounge was occupied by a single girl, who was seated on an arm chair. Her legs were crossed and on her lap was a book. Red eyes quickly scanned through the words, and delicate, slender fingers turned the page once she had finished reading it. Essentially, Furukawa Miki was killing time. She had already finished recording her next single, but she did not want to be the first to return home. It was an unusual day, given the fact that the entire household had gone to the studio to work on their respective upcoming singles and gather together for a Halloween photo shoot. The photo shoot had taken place as soon as all of the members of the residency were assembled, and once it had been completed, each idol scurried off to a recording booth to work with their managers and producer for the day.<p>

But Miki hadn't been expecting to finish before everyone else. And she knew that if she returned home, she would probably be home alone for another hour. The thought of sitting in that obscenely large residency by herself was a dreadful thought, and so she had opted to wait in the lounge until someone else had finished their session for the day. She would much rather be alone in a lounge knowing that the others where somewhere in the building, rather than take the twenty minute ride back to the house, and then sit alone in her room or in the game room.

With a sigh, she turned to a new page in her book and read through the lines. "I wish someone would finish soon," she mumbled out loud, as she pursed her lips into a small pout. "I don't like being alone…"

"Aw, Miki-chan! You're just adorable, ne?" A giggle came from behind the arm chair, and caused the ahoge'd girl to jump in her seat. Miki whirled around, and looked up to see who had intruded on the quiet area.

"Ah, M-Miku-nee…" Miki smiled a little bit, but she could still feel her heart pounding in her chest from the initial shock. "Are you done for the day?"

The tealette shook her head no, and propped an arm up on the top of the chair. She cupped her face in her palm, and sighed. "Sadly, no, I'm not. They decided that while I'm here I should start looking at the new songs that some composers submitted and go ahead and pick the ones that I want to work with," she explained with her standard empty smile.

An empty smile that Miki noticed, and was sad to see. The red head had been hoping that after the talk that Miku had with Luka during their date, Miku would start to open up ever so slightly to the others. But the presence of that secretive smile, the smile that prevented others from even trying to reach out to Miku, told Miki that this was going to be a slow process and difficult process. It would seem that Luka and possibly Gumi were the only ones who could even pry a sliver of the truth from Miku.

"Oh, really?" Miki looked a little disappointed, both with Miku's smile and with Miku's answer. "I had to choose a few songs earlier, but they gave me the CDs to listen to while on the car ride home, or to listen to once I actually get home." She turned her attention back to the book in her lap, and began to half-heartedly skim through the words on the page. "I thought I could just wait here and find someone to ride home with."

"Like Gumi-chan?"

The redhead blushed and her ahoge twitched as she stiffened a little in her seat. "Ah—N-not necessarily," she stammered as she tightened her grip on book. "Just someone to talk to—"

"You want to talk to Gumi-chan, right? I heard you confessed during your date, ne? That's so cute."

"M-Miku-nee!" Miki groaned and looked back up at the still smiling tealette. "It's not like that. I…" She bit her bottom lip and shyly looked away. "I embarrassed myself while we were still at the restaurant. I shouldn't have said those things, and I spoke out of turn." A sigh escaped her and she hung her head, her bangs covering her eyes. "Gumi-chan probably thinks I'm just a naïve little girl or something…"

Miku blinked a few times, surprised to see Miki react in such a way. When Gumi had first explained what had happened to her, Miku had thought it was absolutely adorable. Although the green haired girl didn't reveal the specifics, Miku understood that Miki had said some pretty serious things. "I don't think Gumi-chan would think you were like that," she said, as she playfully ruffled up Miki's red hair. "I'm not sure what you said to her, but I think it made an impact on Gumi-chan."

"Mm… You think so?" Miki asked, as she looked up at Miku once more. "I thought it was kind of dumb… Well, embarrassing. I didn't mean to say so much to her—"

"What did you say?"

Miki's face became red once more, and she frantically began to wave her hands around. "M-Me? I said—Well, it's—I just—Sort of—It's a long—I didn't—Well, maybe I did-!" She stumbled over her words as she tried to find a way out of answering the question. Was it really appropriate to tell your crush's ex-girlfriend that you confessed your feelings?

The tealette laughed, and patted the panic struck girl's head. Miku smiled, and stood back up. "Ah, never mind, never mind! " She giggled, as she turned her back to Miki and strode towards the door. "I don't want you to have a heart attack over this!"

"M-Miku-nee!" Frantic, the younger girl turned around in the arm chair, and kneeled on the cushion of the armchair. Her red eyes were wide with panic as she peeked over the top of the arm chair and stared at the teal figure that was already by the door. "Y-You're not going to tell anyone are you?" Miki had to admit, even though Miku was only dressed in a pale pink, short sleeved button down, black skirt, and matching black flats, the tealette managed to look stunning. No wonder Gumi-chan had loved Miku so much… Could she ever begin to compare to the teal haired girl in Gumi's eyes?

"Hm?" Miku looked at Miki from over her shoulder, an almost puzzled expression. Almost.

"About—About me liking Gumi-nee?"

The smile was back on the teal haired girl's face as she shook her head no. "If you don't want me to, I won't say anything," she answered. "Just wait here.. I'm sure someone will finish up soon. Then you won't be alone!" A giggle came from her as she opened the door and stepped out into the hallway, and shut the door behind her.

"Huh—Oh—Ri-…. Okay, bye…"

* * *

><p>Giggling, the tealette strode down the hallway with a smile plastered onto her face. The fact that Miki was so worked up about Gumi was just too cute, in her opinion. She couldn't wait to see how things would play out between her two closest friends. While lost in thought, she failed to notice the girl who was standing mid-way through the hall.<p>

"Miku."

The teal haired girl snapped back to reality, and halted a few paces away from the tall blonde before her. "Ah, Lily-nee," she nodded at the older girl. They hadn't spoken since the day before Lily and Luka had gone out on a date. Tensions in the mansion ran high between the two of them, and they avoided talking whenever they could. But this was the first that Lily had approached Miku after their respective dates. And Miku couldn't help but feel a little awkward, or even somewhat intimidated by the tall girl that stood before her.

Lily was dressed casually, and much to Miku's surprise, not wearing a pair of sweatpants like she normally wore when she had to go record a song or two. Instead of the sweatpants an t-shirt that Lily normally wore to the studio, a pair of brown short, chic shorts were donned, as well as a yellow scoop neck t-shirt. The shirt was layered by a brown, chic, leather jacket, and the outfit was completed by a pair of brown boots. "Miku," Lily repeated herself, this time with a frown on her face. Her blue eyes were narrowed at the younger girl and she shook her head. "Did you say something to Luka?"

Miku blinked a few times and tilted her head slightly to one side. With her hands clasped behind her back, she shrugged her shoulders. "What do you mean? Luka-senpai have only talked on occasion the past few days since our date," she answered honestly. The non-smile that she used for defense was back on her face. Pokerface time.

"She seems… Different," Lily answered, as she shoved her thumbs into the front pockets of her shorts. "I don't know if I like this sort of different. I _guess_ I do, since she seems happier. But what did you say to her while you two were on your date? She was pretty tense before your date, but after she seems to have relaxed a bit."

"Ah," Miku gave Lily a knowing look. Of course Luka would feel more relaxed. Both she and Luka had said they could talk to one another about Gumi and Lily and their feelings on their love lives if they needed to. It had relieved stress from both of their shoulders knowing that they had someone to talk to about the complex love situation that had gripped the four of them. Over the course of the few days, when they did have the chance, the two would mention a few things here and there about the stress they were under. They were normally short conversations, but even mentioning in passing that things seemed to be slightly better or worse helped the pair to relieve some of the stress that they were feeling. "Well, I don't know if it's my place to tell you what we were talking about," she answered, as she shrugged her shoulders once more. "If you're so curious, I think it would be best if you asked Luka-senpai—"

"Cut the crap and tell me, Miku," Lily spat out, as she clenched her teeth together. "What did you do to Luka? Did you drug her or something and convince her you're the greatest person on Earth?"

"I didn't do anything!" Miku exclaimed, her pokerface slipping as she puffed her cheeks out at Lily indignantly. "Honest! I didn't kiss her, I didn't grope her, I didn't do anything!" A touch of irritation could be found in her tone as she reined her emotions back into control. "Luka-senpai and I talked, that's all."

The blonde gave Miku a look full of distrust. "I don't believe you. I'm trying to be civil here, but I don't believe you."

"You don't have to believe me," Miku sighed, becoming exasperated with the situation at hand. "But all we did was talk. A heart-to-heart, that's all."

At this, Lily stiffened. Luka had a heart-to-heart with someone other than her? This was… Unxpected. Extremely so. Ever since they were children, Lily had been Luka's sole confident. Hearing that Luka had chosen to talk to someone other than herself hurt her just a little bit. It was like a blow to her ego. "What? A heart-to-heart?" She repeated in disbelief. "No way…. Are you kidding, or… What?"

The tealette nodded and began to walk once more, hoping to pass by Lily and return to her assigned recording booth. "Yes, but, ah, I need to go finish up recording some songs-… Lily-nee, please."

Lily had stuck an arm out, blocking Miku's path. "Wait, no. Tell me what she said to you," she demanded. "Tell me first, and then you can go. What'd koneko-chan say?"

"Koneko-chan?"

"Shut up. Don't ask. Just tell me what she said."

Miku shook her head no once more. "Really, Lily-nee," she sighed. "I thought you would be able to understand that it isn't my place to repeat what Luka-senpai had said. Can I just go—"

"No."

Another sigh escaped Miku's lips. Getting out of this situation was quickly becoming hopeless; and it was gradually upsetting her. She had promised Luka a few days ago that what they had said to one another about Lily and Gumi would stay between the two of them. No one else needed to know that Luka was sure she had strong feelings for Lily, but she was afraid to ruin their friendship by pursuing or denying those feelings. And no one needed to know that Miku was afraid that by continuing to pursue Luka she would hurt Gumi, or that she had only slight mixed feelings about pairing Gumi and Miki together. As happy as she was to hear that Miki liked Gumi, Miku was afraid that things may eventually end poorly between Miki and Gumi. Not to mention that Gumi's parents may end up taking the whole dating thing poorly once more. And that was the last thing she wanted; to see Gumi hurt again and again…

"Miku. Tell me," Lily repeated herself once more when she noticed that the younger girl had spaced out a little bit.

"Ah—No, I can't."

The corner of Lily's mouth twitched. Before she knew it, she had gripped the collar of the younger girls shirt, and glared down into her teal eyes. "Tell. Me."

"L-Lily-nee…" Miku's pokerface was gone as she stared back into those deep blue eyes. What was she supposed to say? She couldn't betray Luka's trust. With a deep breath, she recomposed herself and smiled back at the older girl. "No."

"Why I outta—"

"OI! Knock it off!" a girl's voice shouted from the end of the hall. "Put her down, Lily-nee!"

"Lily-chan, let Miku-chan go.." Another voice chimed in, this one masculine.

Both Lily and Miku looked at the pair that had arrived. Gakupo and Gumi strode towards the rivals in love, and both wore vastly different expressions. Gakupo was as composed as ever, yet the corners of his mouth were twitched down into a slight frown of disappointment. The purple gentleman brushed aside his purple bangs and turned his gaze onto the blonde. Beside him, his younger cousin looked absolutely furious. Rage and fearlessness shone in those emerald eyes as Gumi quickened her pace and ripped Miku out from Lily's grip. She shoved the teal haired girl behind her and stood in front of Lily, emerald eyes narrowed into slits.

"What the _hell_ are you doing to Miku?" Gumi snapped at Lily. Her hands clenched into fists. "You better have a good reason for putting your hands on her, 'cause there's no reason for you to even try and hurt her!"

Miku groaned, and shook her head. As cool and somewhat hot as the whole hero bit may be, she did not want any more tension to be added between her and Lily. "Gumi-chan, it's okay," she said slowly, as she put a hand onto the green haired girl's shoulder in an attempt to pacify her.

"No! It's _not_ okay at all!" Gumi retorted angrily, her voice shaking with the fury that she was feeling. She shrugged her shoulder, pushing Miku's hand off of her. Her emerald eyes never broke the gaze of the navy blue ones. "So answer me, Lily-nee! What were you doing to Miku?"

Lily folded her arms across her chest and turned her head away from Gumi. "I don't need to answer to you."

Gakupo slid into place beside Lily, and frowned at the blonde. "No, you don't have to answer, but you probably should," he stated, his tone disapproving. "I don't think you should have done that, either, Lily-chan. We all live in the same house, after all. We don't need to make things any more strained for everyone else." He was acutely aware that he needed to act as the mediator at the moment, and bring everyone down to a calm, civil level.  
>At least, he was hoping he could do that.<p>

"What—Gakupo-san! I don't have to answer—"

"But you should," he repeated once more, this time more sternly. "I would like to know, myself, why it looked like you were going to knock the living daylights out of Miku-chan." Patient purple eyes made eye contact with the irritated pair of navy blue ones. "Now, if you would..?"

Lily threw her arms up into the air, clearly frustrated with all of those present in the hallway. "What the hell, man!" she shook her head. "All I did was ask a question, and Miku wouldn't answer!"

Gumi stared at Lily. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah."

"HOW OLD ARE YOU? FIVE? THAT'S SO STUPID!" The green haired girl snapped at her senpai in utter disbelief and continued rage. "SO FREAKING STUPID! I THOUGHT YOU'D BE MORE MATURE THAN MEIKO-NEE, BUT WOW! THAT'S BEYOND ANY OF HER DRUNK ANTICS!" She felt Miku slip her hand into hers and tug at her arm. But she was not about to let go of the situation so easily. "AND YOU HAD THE BALLS TO PUT YOUR HAND ON MIKU? ARE YOU FUCKING INSANE—"

"Gumi-chan, let's go," Miku mumbled, this time pulling the girl behind her as she headed back towards the lounge area she had left not too long ago.

Lily twitched and began to stride towards the retreating pair. "Why I outta—Get back here! I'll kick your ass and teach you to show your elders respect!" she snapped as she tried to follow Gumi and Miku.

Gakupo shook his head. He followed Lily, and looped his arms underneath her armpits, successfully holding the blonde back. "No, Lily-chan, you need to calm down.. Just let Miku-chan calm Gumi-chan down, and you… You just go back to your recording booth and take a breather," he said slowly, trying his best to keep the squirming blonde in place.

"NO! GAKUPO LET ME GO!"

"Yes."

"NO! LET ME KICK BOTH OF THEIR ASSES! YOU DAMNED EGGPLANT HEAD! LET GO!"

"I'll buy you ice cream."

"… What kind?"

"Any kind you want."

"… Okay. Let's go get ice cream."

"And then you have to go finish recording your song."

"Yeah, yeah. They can wait half an hour. They'll be alright."

* * *

><p>Gumi adjusted the red goggles that had gone slightly askew during her heated moment with Lily. She frowned and let Miku tug her down the hallway. When they had stopped, she smoothed out the red v-neck sweater that was layered on top of her white button-down shirt, whose top few buttons were left unbuttoned to expose Gumi's collarbone. The outfit, as Miku noted, was completed by dark denim skinny jeans that were tucked into gray high-top Converses. Did this girl only wear sneakers?<p>

"Why did you stop me?" Gumi asked Miku, interrupting the teal haired girl's fashion oriented thoughts. It was clear that Gumi was still riled up.

Miku sighed, and gave Gumi a smile. She reached up and fixed the collar of Gumi's white shirt It was not one of her mocking, empty smiles, but a weary one. "I didn't want you to get hurt," she explained. "Or, well… Involved. I didn't want you to get more involved in this than you had to."

The green haired girl twitched. "Whatever… That's a stupid explanation, but I'll take it for now."

A sigh escaped Miku's lips, this time one of relief. "Good… You didn't have to do that, you know," she pouted at her friend. "I would have been alright on my own."

Gumi snorted and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. You're useless when it comes to confrontations like that. And the fact that you were _smiling_ at Lily-nee while she was pissed wasn't going to make things any better," she added. "You probably would've been strangled if Nii-san and I didn't show up."

The tealeatte shrugged her shoulders and clasped her hands behind her back once more. "Maybe, maybe not," she replied, almost indifferently. "But… Thank you for what you did." This time her smile brightened a bit, and the sight caught Gumi off guard.

"Uh—Yeah, no problem." It was a smile that she hadn't seen in ages. That genuinely happy, cheeky smile of Miku's had been absent for such a long time now. The last time Gumi had seen it was when they were dating…

"Ah, Gumi-chan?" Miku blinked a few times, staried at her friend, and the smile vanished.

"What?" Gumi frowned slightly, a little disappointed to see the smile was gone.

"Are you done for the day?"

"Eh?" Gumi blinked and then nodded once. "Yeah, I am. Why?"

"Could you keep Miki-chan company, then? She's been alone for a while, I think, and she's just been waiting for someone to finish so she wouldn't have to go home alone."

"Oh… Uh, yeah…. I guess I could do that," the green haired girl mumbled, a little surprised by the request.

Miku giggled, and opened the door to the lounge. "She's in here. Maybe you two could stop and get coffee and a snack at that café on the way home, ne?" Still giggling, she skipped away and headed off towards her recording booth.

Gumi watched her friend leave, and shook her head. What kind of request was that? Take Miki to a café? It almost sounded like a date.  
>Wait a second…<p>

"Is this a _date!"_

Miku laughed, and looked at Gumi from over her shoulder. "Your last date was interrupted, ne? Maybe you should make it up to her," she replied, before she opened a door and entered the room.

"MIKU-….. Aw geez… I'm no good at this stuff, though," Gumi groaned, before she went into the lounge to find Miki.

* * *

><p>The redhead had fallen asleep while reading in the armchair. Her bangs were messily strewn across her face, and her striped navy and white cardigan was a unbuttoned, revealing the pink blouse she wore beneath it. As she breathed in slowly, and exhaled slowly, her chest rose slightly and fell. But what had caught Gumi's attention was the fact that navy skirt that Miki wore was messily hitched up higher than normal due to the redhead's restless sleeping. The green haired girl gulped, and she felt her cheeks warm up as her emerald eyes continued to stare at Miki's exposed thighs.<p>

"Bad. This is bad, bad, bad," Gumi told herself sternly, as she shook her head quickly. "Don't look. You can't look. That's bad. She's sleeping. She doesn't even know. God, what the hell is wrong with me… Checking out sleeping people…"

"Nn…" Miki yawned, and pushed herself up in her seat. She rubbed at one eye with a closed hand, and peeked at Gumi groggily. "Huh? Who's checking who out?"

"Huh—Nothing! Nothing at all!" Gumi said quickly, allowing a nervous laugh to escape her. "I wasn't—Just forget about it."

The redhead blinked a few times, and shrugged her shoulders. "Oh, alright.." She closed the book that was on her lap and threw her arms into the air as she stretched out her back. Falling asleep in such an awkward position was not one of her most brilliant ideas, but at least she managed to get a quick nap out of it.

Gumi watched in silence for a few moments, her thoughts going back to the tantalizing view of skin that she had seen moments before. And then she remembered Miku's request. "Oh—Miki-chan, you're not busy, right? I mean—you're done with everything for today? The studio stuff?" she asked lamely, as she tried to shove those thoughts of the skirt and skin from her mind.

Miki looked up at Gumi and nodded slowly. "Yes, I am," she answered. "Are you done?"

"Cool, I'm done for today, too," Gumi replied. "Uh.. You wanna start heading home? I was thinking we could just walk, you know, and hang out for a bit. Maybe.. Go to that café that's on the way and get a bite to eat."

The redhead stared at Gumi in disbelief. Was she hearing things? "Like… a date?" Miki asked slowly, waning to make sure she had things right.

Gumi gulped, and looked away quickly. She shrugged her shoulders. "I dunno. I guess you could call it that.. It doesn't have to be like that, though," she said quickly. "We're just hanging out is all." The touch of pink that danced across Gumi's cheeks did not go unnoticed by Miki.

"Ah, alright, alright," Miki giggled, as she stood up onto her black boot clad feet. When she stood up, Gumi noticed that her stockings only went half-way up her thighs, and between the stockings and the skirt, a bit of skin could be seen. Miki picked up her dark gray newsboy hat from the coffee table and put it on her head. Her ahoge protested, and decided to peek out it's tip from beneath the brim of the hat. "Let's get going, then!" The redhead was completely unaware of Gumi's thoughts as she skipped towards the door, clearly happy that the two were spending time alone.

Gumi was quick to look away from that teasing strip of skin, and made sure to focus her emerald eyes on Miki's back. "Right, yeah.. Let's go."

* * *

><p>The pair sat in a booth at the ice cream shop. One was devouring the ice cream sundae before her, and the other was slowly licking at the soft-serve chocolate ice cream that he had ordered. When the blonde had finished eating, she set her spoon down on the dish, and leaned back into the cushioned seat of the booth. "Aaaaahhh! That was good!" Lily said in complete content. "Thanks, eggplant!"<p>

Gakupo was nowhere near finishing his ice cream cone. He offered his companion a smile as he continued to lick at his ice cream. "I'm glad you liked it," he replied, choosing to ignore the nickname and stares that he received from the shops other patronages. "Now, are you ready to talk about what happened?"

Lily blinked her deep blue eyes at Gakupo in a temporary lapse of amnesia. "Eh? What are you—"

"What happened earlier between you and Miku-chan."

"Oh…" Lily frowned a little bit. "That."

Gakupo nodded and motioned for her to continue.

The blonde folded her arms across her chest and blew a puff of air at her messy bangs. "It's like I said before, eggplant! I asked her a question and she didn't answer," she replied bluntly. There was a pause as she stared at the empty sundae dish. "But.. Eh. I guess I did lose my cool back there. Tch…" She scowled and her brows furrowed together. "I dunno. She wasn't answering my question and I really just wanted an anwer. And then she said something that got under my skin…"

The purple haired boy seated across from her raised a brow at this. He leaned forward, and took another lick of his ice cream. "Hm? She said something that bothered you?" Gakupo asked incredulously. "That's interesting. It takes a lot to bother you. You're normally a joker."

Lily shrugged and looked out the window. "Eh."

"So, what did she say?"

"Something about talking to Luka more now," Lily answered with another shrug. It was clear that she was not happy with Luka and Miku suddenly growing closer. But that couldn't be helped, she supposed. "I guess they 're a lot more comfortable with each other. Or something." She gave Gakupo a sidelong glance, and then rolled her eyes. "I don't know."

"You're not happy about that."

"'Course not… That means Miku might get Luka," she replied, as she began to drum the fingers of her right hand against the upper part of her left arm. "I'd be fine if Luka and I were still friends and all… But losing in a love war to Miku of all people… She's a brat!"

Gakupo shook his head at the answer he received. "You're only saying she's a brat because you're a sore loser, Lily-san," he pointed out with a small smile. "And you're clearly afraid to lose Luka-san forever. Although, if you don't end up dating Luka-san, I doubt she would completely ignore you because she was in a relationship with Miku-chan."

Lily snorted. "I know she wouldn't.. She's not that type of person," she said. "It's just…" She hesitated, and wondered how she could phrase this properly.

"You're afraid to get hurt."

"Yeah right!" Lily rolled her eyes and stood up. "As if I'd let myself get hurt. I'm Masuda Lily!" She announced, no longer caring who happened to overhear their conversation. "I DON'T LET ANYTHING STOP ME—Uh…"

The teenagers who had just walked into the ice cream parlor swarmed around the booth that the two Vocaloids had been occupying. Adolescent boys and girls alike began to shout at both Gakupo and Lily how much they adored their music, or loved their good looks.

"LILY-SAMA! CAN I HAVE YOUR AUTOGRAPH!" a girl shouted.

"GAKUPO-SAMA! I WANT YOUR AUTOGRAPH! WRITE IT ON MY FOREHEAD!" another girl shouted from the back of the swarm.

"NO! TATTOO MY AUTOGRAPH TO MY ARM, GAKUPO-SAMA!" this time a boy near the front pushed his way through the others while shouting.

"MARRY ME LILY-SAMA!" A girl.

Both Lily and Gakupo scooted as far back as they could into the booth. "Ah, Lily-san, see what happened?" Gakupo sighedd as he shot the blonde a dirty look. "You just _had_ to go and scream your name out, didn't you?"

Lily glared at the purple haired boy. She reached over and tugged on his ponytail. "Shaddup, will you?"

"OOOOH! LILY-SAMA IS A SADIST! TAKE A PICTURE! QUICK!"

"DOES THAT MAKE GAKUPO-SAMA A MASOCHIST?"

The pair twitched and exchanged mixed looks.  
>They were never going to get back to the studio at this rate.<p>

* * *

><p>Gumi and Miki walked along in silence. Miki was excited to be going to the café; she had heard good things about the place, and that the store sold delicious pastries. She had a bit of a sweet tooth, and she couldn't wait to satisfy her craving for something sweet.<p>

Beside her, Gumi looked around awkwardly, trying to find something to focus her attention on. It was a difficult task, especially since she had only discovered this afternoon just how, erm, "mature" Miki had become over the past year or so. She shook her head and glanced down at the petite girl beside her. The younger girl was clearly happy, given the huge smile that was plastered onto her face. And suddenly, Miki darted over to the glass window of a shop.

The redhead squealed and pressed her face against the glass, her red eyes wide. "Ah! Everything looks so good!"

Gumi stopped beside Miki, and looked at the display case lined with pastries and other assorted sweets. The corners of her lips twitched into a smirk of amusement. "Yeah, it does look good," she admitted, as she put her hands up behind her head. "But, ya know, they'd probably taste a lot better than they look."

"Uh-huh!" Miki's grin only widened, and she tried to press her face against the glass even more.

The green haired girl snickered. If Miki kept this up, she'd probably end up pressing her whole head through the glass. "Yup… So. We should probably go inside so we can try some," Gumi pointed out, as she began to step towards the door of the café.

"Eh—Oh!" Miki blushed a bit from embarrassment, and followed Gumi into the café. She stayed close behind the older girl, unwilling to look at anyone else. Partly because she was embarrassed that she had been so caught up with looking at the pastries in the window, and because she was hoping that by avoiding eye contact, they would get away without being recognized by a rabid fanboy or fangirl. One hand reached out and clutched onto the back of Gumi's mock sweater. "Are people staring?" she whispered to Gumi as she closed the gap between the two of them, her red eyes looking down at her shoes.

Gumi, whose arms were still behind her head, craned her head so she could at least peek down at the flustered girl who was trailing behind her. "Eh?" She quickly scanned the room, and realized that people were in fact staring at them. "Uh… Nah. They aren't." One white lie wouldn't hurt. And besides, it seemed like Miki wasn't going to look around and find out about this lie any time soon. She stopped at the counter, and grinned at the barista. "Oi, Miki-chan, what do you want?"

The redhead peered from behind Gumi, and looked at the display case before them. Her expression lightened, and she gave Gumi a childish smile. "Ah! I don't know what to get!" She exclaimed, before she looked back at the case. "It looks like there are even more options to choose from!" The girl kept her grip on Gumi's sweater, but stepped forward to get a better view of the pastries that were on display.

The barista looked at Miki and then at Gumi. Her expression said _"Is this kid really the famous Furukawa Miki?"_

Gumi gave the barista an expression that said _"Keep your opinion to yourself, or I'll make your life miserable."_

The barista gulped, and nodded to signify that she understood their silent exchange.

"Miki-chan, oi, are you going to order something?" Gumi asked, as her expression shifted from a death threat to a smirk of amusement. "I'll pay for it."

"Eh?" Miki looked up at Gumi so fast that the hat she was wearing fell off of her head. And her ahoge promptly jumped up now that there was nothing holding it down. "Really? Oh, no, you don't have to do that. I can pay for myself, Gumi-nee." She smiled up at the girl who was only slightly taller than her.

The green haired girl shrugged. "If you say so…" Gumi muttered as she moved her hands away from the back of her head. She watched as her companion placed her order.

"Let's see…" Miki tapped her pointer finger against her lips. "I'd like a strawberry Danish, a chocolate éclair, an apple strudel, a red velvet cupcake, a blueberry tart, a chocolate croissant and a slice of that vanilla cake, please. Oh! And a medium herbal tea, please." She smiled up at the awestruck barista, her ahoge bouncing as she rocked from her heels to the balls of her feet in anticipation of trying all of the sweets.

The overwhelmed barista looked at Gumi helplessly. There was no way a single person could digest all of that sugar without puking up rainbows and unicorns.

Gumi grinned at the sight of the stunned barista and shrugged her shoulders. "I'll have a medium coffee, please, with milk. No sugar."

At this, the barista nearly facepalmed, but kept herself composed. "Right away…" She opened up the case and pulled out each pastry in order. Normally, she would put it on a single plate, but the staggering amount of sweets that had been ordered needed to be put away into one of their take-home boxes. Once all of the sweets were put away, she went ahead and put their drinks into the cups and put a lid on both. "Separate bills, I'm assuming. Well, Furukawa-san's bill comes to—"

"Nah, put them together. I got it," Gumi was quick to pull out her credit card and hand it over to the barista. "Thank you."

Miki's eyes widened when she saw the barista swipe the card. She looked at Gumi and pouted. "I said it was fine, I could pay for my own things. I ordered a lot—…" She was interrupted by a wink and a smirk from the older girl. She instantly shut her mouth, and looked away with flushed cheeks.  
>Darn that Megpoid Gumi for being so cool without even trying.<p>

"Ah, can—Can I have an autograph, Megpoid-san?" The barista asked timidly.

"... Yeah, sure," Gumi laughed, and quickly scribbled a note onto a napkin, signed it, and handed it to the barista. "Thanks for the pastries." After slipping her card into her pocket, Gumi grabbed the handle of the white cardboard box and her cup of coffee. "C'mon, Miki-chan. Let's find somewhere to sit." She looked around and found a table towards the back of the café. Perfect; it was away from the windows and they wouldn't have to worry about being pounced on by the nosey paparazzi or insane fans. Smiling to herself, she headed towards the table. "Don't forget your hat. It fell on the floor."

The redhead's cheeks darkened at the reminder, and she hastily scooped her hat up from the floor before following after Gumi. It seemed that their whole time together was one embarrassing moment after another. She was surprised that Gumi hadn't laughed at her or called her an idiot by now. Miki slid into the seat of the booth, and sighed.

Gumi slid in across from her, and set the box down at the center of the table. She took a sip of her coffee before she slid the box towards Miki. "Here ya go," she said, as she leaned back into her seat.

Miki wanted nothing more than to rip the box open and shove all of the pastries into her mouth at once. But then she realized that she was too tiny to achieve such a feat. And then she realized that she would probably look barbaric and embarrass herself even more not only in front of Gumi, but the whole café as well. "_Arigatou gozaimasu,_" she thanked the older girl. "Thank you for buying me all of this. Even though you didn't have to," she added, despite the fact that she was already opening the top of the box. Her red eyes widened at the sight of all of the delicious pastries that were screaming to be eaten.

"Can't you just say 'thanks' and leave it at that?" Gumi asked, her lips curved back into a smirk. She watched as Miki pulled out the small, palm-sized blueberry tart from the box. "Besides, I know you'd rather be eating right now than talking to me." There was a teasing edge to her tone.

Miki had her mouth open and was about to take a bite when she registered what Gumi had just said. "Ah-.. Th-that's not true!" She stammered, flustered once more. Why was she getting flustered so easily today? Oh, that's right. She was alone with Gumi. "I do want to talk to you!"

"But that tart is just looks so appetizing, huh?"

"Yes! I mean—No! No!"

Gumi laughed, and shook her head at the other girl. She leaned forward, put her elbow on the table, and propped her head up in her palm. "It's fine, Miki-chan. Go ahead and eat. It doesn't bother me." She took another sip of her milked coffee and gave the redhead another smirk.

Cheeks heated, Miki took a bite out of the tart. At this rate her face would permanently be red. She held out the tart to Gumi. "It's—It's really good, Gumi-nee," she said, with a small, timid smile on her face. "Try it."

Emerald eyes stared at the blueberry pastry held before her. "Eh? I dunno.. I'm not big on sweets," she said passively as she bit down on the black plastic lid on the top of her coffee cup. When she noticed the adorable pout that accompanied Miki's deflated look, Gumi reconsidered the offer. "But, ya know, if it's really that great…"

Miki's eyes lit up and she leaned forward eagerly, bringing the half-eaten tart closer to the short haired girl's face.

Gumi lifted her head from her palm and leaned forward. She took a tiny bite out from the tart and glanced back at Miki.

"That doesn't count as a bite. Taking a bite that tiny is probably illegal in some countries," Miki scoffed as she pressed the tart at Gumi once more.

"Wha—That's definitely a bite-.." The tart was now only a few centimeters away from her eyes. Just looking at the tart was forcing her emerald eyes to go cross-eyed. "Geez, okay, okay. Calm yourself." This time, Gumi practically inhaled the remnants of the tart. She cupped her cheek in her palm once more while she chewed the blueberry pastry. "Ah…" Her face revealed to Miki how surprised she was to find that the tart actually was good.

Miki gave Gumi a triumphant grin. "I told you."

"Yeah, yeah, you're right," Gumi shrugged a shoulder and grinned back at Miki. "It's good."

The redhead squealed in delight, and her ahoge bounced to and fro as the petite girl began to pull out the rest of the pastries from the box. "I'm happy that you like it! That means you can help me finish all of these!"

Gumi's face went blank as she stared at the massive amount of sweets that were now spread out across the table. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of her face as she mentally calculated the amounts of sugar that could possibly be contained within these cutesy baked goods. "Uh…. You're not serious, are you?"

"Very serious."

"Great…"

Miki giggled and took out one of the plastic forks that had been graciously placed into the box. She used it to get a forkful of vanilla cake. "You won't notice that you're eating if you talk," she said, as she put the piece of cake into her mouth.

"Talk about what?"

"Anything! Here, I'll get us started!" Miki smiled and clapped her hands together. "One time I had boyfriend in middle school. He was kind of a buttmuffin—"

Gumi snorted at this label. 'Buttmuffin'? It sounded like something a kid would say.

"But he was okay, I guess. I mean… He was good looking." Miki nodded her head as she recalled the boy's face. "He was just sort of… A jerk." At this, the normally good natured redhead scowled. "All he ever wanted to do was try and kiss me. And if I didn't want to, he would get angry and tell me I was trying to play 'hard-to-get' even though we were already in a relationship."

The green haired girl raised a brow at this. She had never expected Miki to get involved with a bad guy. She had at least figured that Miki would hold guys to a high standard. But apparently that assumption was shot. Gumi watched Miki carefully as she took a piece off of the strawberry Danish.

"Either way, I broke up with him and he became a psychotic stalker," the redhead gave her a thumbs up as she bit into another forkful of cake.

Gumi nearly choked on the Danish. "_What?"_

Miki nodded passively, and broke off a piece of the Danish for her to try. "Yeah. But in the end the school had him removed from campus and he had to transfer to a new middle school. It didn't really matter, though, since I ended up moving here a year later," she added as she popped the pastry into her mouth.

Gumi stared at Miki, wondering how the other girl could mention such a tale with such an indifferent tone. "Uh… Well…. I'm glad you were able to escape him?"

"I am, too," Miki laughed. "So, what about you? How'd your last relationship go?" She knew she was making a dangerous gamble, and things were sure to turn sour… But she couldn't figure out any other way to get Gumi to at least open up a little bit about the past. She knew it was an awful thing to remain trapped in the past, and that keeping things locked in the heart would provide temporary relief but would definitely hurt in the long run.

The color drained from Gumi's face, and the mood in the booth instantly became tense. She sat back in her seat, her arms now folded defensively across her chest. "No. We're not going there, Miki-chan," she said icily. "Not today." It amazed her that she didn't see this coming. There were warning flags all over that story that even screamed at her "HEY. CAREFUL, THERE'S DANGEROUS SHIT AHEAD!"

The redhead sighed and set her fork down on a napkin. She gave the other girl a pleading look, her red eyes wide as she begged Gumi to open up just a little bit. "Please, Gumi-nee. I know you're hurting, and it isn't good to—"

"No means no, got it?" Gumi snapped back, her emerald eyes narrowing. "I get that you're just trying to help but this is none of your business."

Miki bit down on her bottom lip. She was afraid that things would go bad, but she wasn't expecting such an acidic reaction from Gumi. "I—Gumi-nee, it isn't good to keep these things bottled up," she dared to go on. It was a risk, but a necessary one. "You just need to talk to someone. You don't need to tell me everything that happened," she added hesitantly. "But just tell me how you're feeling or what's going on in your head… I don't want you to suffer alone—"

"No." Gumi stood up and frowned down at the startled girl. "No. I'm not doing that. Don't worry about me, because I can handle myself." She picked up her cup of coffee. "Enjoy the rest of your sweets. I'm leaving," she huffed as she strode towards the exit of the café. The short haired girl paused, and turned on her heels. She came back to the table and picked up the napkin that held the half-eaten strawberry Danish. "And I'm taking this.. Because… It's really good. GOOD DAY TO YOU, SIR!" With that, she turned back around and promptly exited the café.

The short haired girl strode out onto the side-walk, and furiously devoured the rest of the strawberry Danish. She felt like an idiot for falling for such an obvious ploy. Of course a conversation goes two ways; one starts and the others add in their own experience or opinion… The set up was so simple and Gumi had been so blind. She chomped down on the pastry and swallowed the bit that was in her mouth. _"Damn it.. Damn it… I don't want to talk about that at all,"_ she thought to herself as she tore through the afternoon crowd. "_I'm fine. I don't need anyone's help. I've been able to deal with all of this on my own since Miku and I first broke up, anyway. If I can survive for this long, I'm damned sure I don't need Miki telling me that I need to talk to her."_

The other pedestrian began to steer clear of the glowering green haired idol. It was as if a black aura of dark feelings had enveloped the girl completely, and the average passerby was able to _feel_ the amount of irritation, confusion, and fear that Gumi was feeling herself.

Still fuming, Gumi allowed her feet to lead her to her favorite retreat. There was a park nearby the gated community that their mansion resided in. Although the park was a bit out of the way, Gumi didn't care. The park was her safe haven, away from the other Vocaloids and the prying eyes of nosey fans. She knew she would not be disturbed if she went to the park, for the only others to frequent the area were children who had no idea who she was. In a matter of minutes, she arrived at the park. Out of force of habit, she went up the playground, and headed straight for the completely enclosed slide. She swung her legs into the slide as if she were about to go down, but remained seated, somewhat uncomfortably since her back was hunched over.

"Stupid Miki… Stupid _Miku…_ Damn it all!" Gumi roared as she threw her arms up into the air and laid back. Still an awkward position, but she didn't care. She blinked her emerald eyes in sudden confusion. Instead of looking up at the dimming sky like she had been expecting, she was now looking up a skirt. More specifically, at a pair of black and white polka dotted panties.

Oh shit.

"G-Gumi-nee!" Miki stuttered, as she frantically pressed her skirt closed in an attempt to conceal her panties.

"HOLY SHIT! I WASN'T TRYING TO—OOF!" Gumi had sat up too quickly and slammed her head against the red plastic at the top of the enclosed slide. And her head then came crashing down onto the hard plastic "floor" of the playset. The last thing she saw was Miki's panicked face circled by dark spots. "Damn it all.." She repeated once more before her vision darkened.

* * *

><p>Gakupo and Lily had finally managed to escape the ice cream parlor. After being there for hours, the pair strode down the side walk. Gakupo's normally neat ponytail was a mess, and his long purple hair had knots within itself. Likewise, Lily had not escaped the rabid fans unscathed. A slight bruise was forming on her left wrist, thanks to a fan that had unceremoniously slammed her wrist against the booth's seat while trying to get her to sign a napkin.<p>

"I hate you right now, Lily-san."

"I hate you, too, eggplant.

The two glared at one another.

"If you didn't have to go around shouting 'I'M MASUDA LILY'…"

"Idiot! Shut up! Someone might hear you—"

"MASUDA LILY? WHERE!" Someone shouted from the other side of the road.

Lily twitched. She turned around and gripped onto the collar of Gakupo's shirt. Furious, she began to shake the samurai back and forth. "YOU'RE SUCH AN IDIOT! LOOK WHAT YOU DID!"

"OH MY KAMI-SAMA! THAT'S GAKUPO-SAMA WITH HER, TOO!"

"I WANT THEIR AUTOGRAPHS!"

Gakupo groaned, and braced himself for another few hours trapped by fans.  
>Lily continued to shake him, not caring that fans were tugging at her leather jacket in the hopes of getting her attention.<p>

"DIE, EGGPLANT, DIE!"

* * *

><p>Miku stood outside of the bedroom door, her teal eyes absently staring at the white wood whie her mind raced. Should she be doing this? After all of the progress that had suddenly been made? She clenched her teeth together and sighed.<br>Probably not.  
>But maybe it would be for the best.<p>

She knocked on the door once, and waited for it's occupant to answer. When the door swung open, she smiled up at the pinkette. "Good afternoon, Luka-senpai."

"Ah, Miku-chan!" Luka smiled back at the teal haired girl. "Hello. Come in! Is there anything I can do for you-"

"Actually, it's fine if we just stand here," Miku interrupted. Her teal eyes broke the eye contact with the light blue ones as she struggled to find the right words to say.

Confused, the taller girl nodded slowly. "Uhm, alright..." She stared at Miku, noting that the secretive mask that the girl had normally hid behind was not present. It came as something of a relief to her; to see that the younger girl was indeed beginning to open up to her. Although she knew that the process could be a long one, Luka was determined to find a way to help alleviate some of the stress that iku was feeling. They did not need to be best friends, and being confidents at the moment was fine. "Is everything alright?"

Miku shook her head no. She took a deep breath and looked back into Luka's eyes. "No, it's not, Luka-senpai," she answered seriously. "I... Something happened today, and it made me think."

"Oh? Do you want to talk about it?" Luka asked, as she leaned against the doorframe.

"Not really... I mean, maybe, but not right now," the tealette said quickly. "I just think that maybe we shouldn't talk to each other like this... Like how you wanted to and how I wanted to."

This caught the pink haired idol off guard. _"What?"_

"It's just- After what happened, I don't want anyone to get hurt," Miku answered, with a slight frown on herself. "People were angry and I didn't like it. Normally, I wouldn't mind if Gumi got upset, since I do like to tease her and she teases me, but... It was different. It was a different kind of angry, and things could have happened that they wouldn't have been able to apologize for." She knew her explanation would make no sense to Luka without telling the older girl what had taken place that afternoon, but she did not want the pinkette to think poorly of Lily or Gumi.

At this, Luka frowned a bit herself. Her eyes shone with worry, and she stood straight once more. "Miku-chan," she said slowly, drawing out each syllable to make it clear that she was concerned for the younger girl. "What exactly happened today?"

"N-nothing... Just... Maybe I'll tell you later," Miku mumbled, as she took a step back from Luka. "Ah, well..." She hesitated, and bit her bottom lip. "Let's just say that maybe our whole love situation is a lot worse than either of us realized." She turned on her heels and sped off down the hallway, unwilling to say anymore than that.

"W-Wait! Miku-chan!" Luka called after her. She sighed, and shook her head.  
>What could that possibly mean? Things were worse than they had thought?<p>

* * *

><p>A groan escaped her lips as she finally began to get a grip on consciousness. Gumi brought a hand up to her forehead and she rubbed the tender spot gingerly. "Ow… Damn, that hurt," she muttered.<p>

"I'm sure it did."

…  
><em>Who in the world…?<em>  
>Gumi's eyes fluttered openand she was surprised to be looking up at Miki's smiling face, which was framed by a few strands of her red hair. "Uh…" Clearly disoriented, Gumi looked around.<br>Oh. She was using Miki's lap as a pillow and she was laying down on the "floor" of the playset. Nice.

Wait. What?

Realization and the memory of those black and white panties took hold of Gumi and her face became red. "Ah—Shit—I'm sorry!" She sat up quickly, but was shoved back down by Miki. Confused, Gumi looked up at the redhead. A stern look was on the younger girl's face.

"You shouldn't try to move around a lot, Gumi-nee. You hit your head pretty head…" Miki paused. "Twice."

Oh. So that was why the back of her head was throbbing, too.

"I didn't mean to startle you when you were sitting on the slide," Miki added, with an apologetic smile. "But… I didn't want you to run off on your own like that. I wanted to apologize for trying to pry into your personal life." She shook her head but continued to smile. "You were right to be angry with me. I shouldn't have pushed things like that."

Gumi stared up Miki, surprised to hear the other girl apologize for her actions. She wasn't surprised by the act of apology itself, but rather by the amount of sincerity that was in Miki's voice. It was sincerity that could be heard back at the café when she spoke of how worried she was about Gumi, and sincerity that could be heard now that she was apologizing. And Gumi had no idea how to handle it. "Ah—Well.. Uh…" She shrugged one shoulder, and turned her head to look at the railing of the playset instead of staring back at those ruby eyes. "It's whatever… It's fine."

They sat in silence for a few moments, unsure of what to say next. Time passed by, and they were soon sitting in the dark, save for the few beams of light that managed to reach them from the lamp post on the sidewalk a little away from them. The air began to cool off, and it was soon becoming quite cold. Miki shivered, and Gumi knew it was time to go. The shorthaired girl got up, and held a hand down to Miki. "C'mon. We should head home. It's getting cold," she said.

Miki nodded in agreement, and grasped onto Gumi's hand. She stood up, and glanced down at their hands. Instead of releasing Gumi's hand, she smiled, and pulled the other girl towards the slide. With a giggle, she jumped into the slide, released Gumi's hand, and slid down and away from the gaping greenhaired girl.

"Wha—Miki-chan!" Gumi shouted into the tube slide. "Wait up!" She hopped down the slide, her hand holding her goggles down to the top of her head. When she reached the bottom, she looked around. Miki was nowhere in sight. "Eh..?"

"BOO!" The red head popped her face up in front of Gumi's. But… It was upside down. Miki smiled at the startled girl who had scrambled back up the slide.

"HOLY SHI—Geez, Miki-chan!" Gumi slid back down and gave the other girl a scowl. She failed to realize how close together their faces were.

Miki giggled, and gave Gumi an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help it! It was too good of an opportunity to pass up," she explained, with slightly flushed cheeks. "But, uhm…"

"What?"

The red on Miki's face deepened in color. She bit down on her bottom lip, and her red eyes glanced around.

"…What is it, Miki-chan?"

Miki gulped, and looked back into the waiting emerald eyes. The smile on her face was a nervous one. "Hold still?"

"… What-!"

The ahoge'd girl pressed her lips gently against Gumi's, eyes closed. Gumi hesitantly shut her eyes as well, deciding that it would be alright to enjoy this moment. When Miki pulled away, Gumi opened one eye, and gently took a hold of her ahoge. "Where do you think you're going?"

"…B-Back to the mansion?" Miki stammered in confusion, her red eyes widening a little bit.

Gumi shook her head and closed the gap between the two, sealing the deal with another kiss. She smirked a little when she felt the redhead stiffen and then relax. "There. Now we can go," Gumi said, as she ducked under Miki's head and got off of the slide. She was quick to turn her back to Miki in an attempt to her flushed cheeks. Without waiting for the other girl, she began to walk towards the general direction of the mansion.

Miki, on the other hand, was in a state of shock. Her face was scarlet, and her eyes were wide as they vacantly stared at the spot where Gumi had once been sitting. When she realized that Gumi had left her on the slide, she quickly climbed down and chased after the green haired girl. As soon as she was close enough, Miki latched herself onto Gumi's arm and buried her face into the gray sleeve of Gumi's sweater.

The older girl glanced down at Miki, but made no attempt to pull her arm away. She simply continued to walk onwards. And the pair walked in silence for a short span before Gumi broke the silence.

"You know.. About what you were asking me before," she began almost hesitantly.

Red eyes looked up at her expectantly. Patiently.

"Ah, well… You're right," Gumi admitted, as she turned her head away from Miki. The greenatte hated admitting when she was wrong. And she hated admitting the fact that she did have weak moments. "But… I'm glad that I have you to talk to. If I can't talk to Miku about things, I'm glad that I know that I can go to you. So… Just be a little patient with me, okay?" She felt her cheeks heat up as she continued to speak. "I'm gonna try and fight you, 'cause I won't want to talk. But I need to."

Miki smiled a little bit, and pressed her tiny body against Gumi's arm. "Okay…"

Gumi nodded once and continued to speak. "And with me and Miku…" She frowned a little bit. "Things are complicated, I guess. She doesn't want to do anything to hurt me, and I don't want to see her get hurt by Luka, or Lily." She paused, tensing at the thought of what had occurred earlier that day. It was best if Miki didn't know about it for now. Miku would tell the redhead eventually. "I'm not going to lie, I'm not over Miku. I'm not even sure how I feel about her, too," Gumi added. "It's confusing. It's like I told you that one time. Sometimes I miss being in a relationship with her, other times I hate her for leaving me without a real reason, and then again I'm just happy to know that we're still best friends."

The redhead nodded, understanding the complexity of the situation. It was clear that talking about this was going to be hard for Gumi; especially since the older girl's voice was becoming strained. "It's okay.. You don't need to keep talking about this right now," Miki said, as she laced her fingers with Gumi's. "I can wait until your're ready to talk about all of it." Smiling, she gave the other girl's hand an affectionate squeeze.

Gumi blushed at this. "R-Right…" She exhaled, and shook her head quickly. "Uh… But since we're being all open and stuff right now.. Can I say something?"

"Of course!"

"… I don't think those panties suit you."

Miki slapped Gumi across the face. "… Ack! I'm sorry, Gumi-nee! I didn't mean to—I don't know what came over me—I'm sorry!" She groaned as she flung her arms around Gumi.

Gumi brought one hand up to her now stinging cheek slowly. "Ow…"  
>That was the first time she had ever been slapped.<p>

Boy, oh, boy. Miki sure was a surprising kid.

* * *

><p><strong>Note: <strong>And that's the end of the chapter! Honestly, I wasn't planning on having this chapter focus so much on Gumi and Miki. xD; I mean.. Yes, they were going to be playing big roles in this chapter. But… It turned out to be a bigger role than I had expected. Which is fine. I don't mind rearranging a few things to make the story work. :P

Also. _I am feeling better!_ Thanks for all of the "get well" wishes, guys! Much appreciated! :D

Now let's see… I hope I reply to everyone!

_Reviewer Replies!:_

_Thyrokio: _Yeah, I've been picking on him a lot recently. xD; I decided to give him a break this chapter and pick on Gumi and Miki instead. Glad to hear you enjoyed the chapter, though! Thanks for reading and reviewing!

_PaperCutVictim: _You and I… Between the two of us, poor Len'll end up dead in an alley somewhere! XDDD I still think you should write a one-shot involving the twins, though. Knowing you, it'd be a hilarious read. I'm really glad to hear that my writing style for the last chapter worked out well, though! I was scared it would confuse some people since it kept jumping from one situation to another, and back again. X_x;; But it worked out, apparently. :D Even though we've got a PM going on… Thanks for reading and reviewing!

_LukaFan:_ Out of curiosity, what're your dreams about? o3o I'm happy to hear you're okay with how the chapter went. xD; Honestly, I was afraid of getting some backlash about the way the chapter proceeded. And yes. It is a little shallow-minded of her, but it's whatever. Everyone's entitled to their own opinion, right? Haha

_Altair SV: _Ahem… ASSASSIN'S CREED FTW! Okay. Now that's out of the way… I think this is the first time you've reviewed my story! ;w; Thank you for the review! Ahahah It's good to hear that I was able to surprise you, though! That's what I was going for with this chapter. (: Your review was really nice to read. Has anyone told you that you're an extremely nice person and great at complimenting someone? If they haven't, let me be the first to say so! :D Thank you for reading and reviewing!

_Jak656: _Ah man. XD; As much as I love knowing that this was your favorite chapter, it makes me wonder how I'll be able to top it! I'm happy that you do enjoy the story, though! :D Thanks for everything! (And alright. I'll be looking forward to the day you get the chance to use it. Haha! :D Good luck!)

_IdrewAcow:_ Thanks, man! I really appreciate the fact that you've been reading since I first started writing. It's nice. ;w; I appreciate it a lot. (Also. I went to your profile page for the first time, and realized that you really did draw a cow…. Needless to say, I laughed.)

_Masaru2509: _Len caught a break in this chapter! (Which is good for him. Hahah). Ah, I'm glad to hear that I've been doing an alright job at developing Miku. ^^; Thanks for reading and reviewing! I really appreciate it!

_Major Mike Powell III:_ It took me a week to update this story…. Sorry, sir! (Also. I'm glad you liked the chapter LOL)

_NyanNyanL: _Ah, did you really read it in 2 days? I'm impressed.. XD I once went back to read through SoL myself, and had to stop after an hour. I didn't realize how long my chapters were! XD;; I'm glad you like the story, though.  
>Ah.. I hope that I can make Miku more realistic to you in the future chapters! I'll do my best to work on that. Thank you for reading and reviewing! Can't wait to hear more from you! (:<br>(Also, your English is fine! Don't worry about it! :D )

_Chinesis' Fan: _I guess everyone enjoys seeing Len get picked on by Rin. XDD! Yes, Luka did become a stronger person in this chapter. :D Thank you for reading and reviewing! I appreciate it!

_Meislovely: _Don't even worry about not commenting last time! It's fine. :D I gotta admit, I do grin every time I read the reviews you leave me. They're always entertaining! XDD Thanks again, guys!

ALRIGHT. I think that's everyone!

But first, I'd like to thank everyone that's been reading SoL. You guys are great! ;w; I love all of you, and appreciate the support! And to all of the reviewers… I wish I could give you all a big hug. So I'll settle with a virtual air hug at the moment.  
>Thanks for all of the support everyone! I'll see you all in the next chapter of SoL!<br>(Or, if you're reading Matryoshka!, too, I'll see you there! :D)

Take care everyone!


	17. Annihilator

**Slice of Life**

**Chapter 17 – Annihilator**

I told myself I would figure out how I wanted to write this chapter, but then I had an epiphany. And it made me want to write this chapter ASAP rather than write out a chapter for Matryoshka!.

Anyway. You all have been so great! Thank you for your continued support. I love knowing that all of you are enjoying my works; and reading the reviews that all of you leave really make my day! Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Disclaimer: **Still don't own Vocaloids. Sadly enough...

* * *

><p>The trio sat in silence on the red sheets of the bed. Each of them wore a vastly different expression, and it was clear that just by glancing at any one of them that the atmosphere in Miki's bedroom was heavy. It was an unexpected meeting for the members of the Secret Police, for the commander had called upon this meeting only five minutes ago. Much to Miku and Miki's amazement, the green haired girl was wide awake, albeit not in the best of moods. And though it was early in the morning, 8:30 AM to be precise, Gumi was up, already heated about what had occurred only half an hour ago…<p>

* * *

><p>Curtains were drawn shut in Gumi's bedroom, and the short haired girl was sleeping peacefully on her king sized bed. Nestled deep within the orange and green sheets, she was curled up in a ball, a small trickle of drool spouting from the corner of her mouth and onto her pillow. Her messy green hair was strewn about, bangs askew over her forehead. In her ears were the trademarked white Apple earbuds for her iPhone. She had fallen asleep listening to a playlist compiled of several songs by the residents of the Vocaloid mansion while studying for a test in one of her online courses. The textbook that she had been reading the night before had migrated away from the girl, due to her tossing and turning in her sleep.<p>

From across the room two pairs of blue eyes watched Gumi carefully as she scratched at her cheek in her sleep.

"Oi, Onee-chan, is this really a good idea?" Len mumbled to his older sister, as he tied the drawstrings to his gray sweatpants. He pulled the hood of his yellow hoodie up and covered his messy, blonde hair. The boy had only woken up an hour ago, and he hadn't had time to pull his hair into his trademark short ponytail. "What if Gumi-nee wakes up?"

Rin grinned at her younger sibling. "It's okay, imouto-chan! She's a heavy sleeper—"

"I'm not your little sister!" the boy whined as he tried his best to give his twin a scowl. To his disappointment, his scowl only widened Rin's grin.

She waved her hand up and down as if to silently say "Yeah, yeah" before she began to stride across the room. Thankfully, the carpet was thick and her footsteps were muffled. Rin's blue eyes glanced at the sleeping girl, and then at the desk pressed against one wall of the room. She quickly made her way over to the desk and put a hand on the handle for one of the drawers.

Len's blue eyes widened when he realized that his sister was really going to go through with the plan. For once, this was neither his nor Rin's idea. The idea to go on a recon mission had been the idea of someone who Len did not see as a mischievous type. Sakine Meiko had requested that the twins break into the bedrooms of Gumi, Miki, and Miku in search of secrets. Normally, the twins would have both been thrilled with the idea of breaking and entering. It was nothing unusual for them, since they normally had to sneak into a room to pull a prank or two. But when Len had first ben awoken by his elder sister and informed of their "next big job"… He was hesitant. It made no sense to him when he had been filled in on the idea last night, and it made no sense to him now. Why would Meiko want to find some dirt on those three?

The boy was jolted from his musings when he heard his sister begin to ruffle through Gumi's belongings. "Onee-chan! You gotta be quieter about this stuff!" he reprimanded his sister, as he hurriedly crossed the room to join her at the dark stained wooden desk.

"Whoa, imouto-chan!" Rin whispered back as she stared at the black leather bound journal in her hand. "This looks promising! Right? Meiko-nee-san said she wanted us to find out some stuff about Gumi-nee?"

"And Miki-nee and Miku-nee…" Len added, with a sigh. "We already searched their rooms, though. And we did come up with some good stuff to give back to Meiko-nee-san—"

"Right! Like we found out that Miki-nee totally has a huge crush on Gumi-nee!"

"Right, but—"

"Too bad we couldn't copy all of the stuff Miku-nee wrote in there. Some of that was pretty great stuff. Even though… We only read the last couple of entries. But, ya know, still. I didn't really get that whole bit about Gumi-nee and her parents, but it's whatever."

"I didn't either, but, Onee-chan—.. Don'tcha think it's weird that she'd ask us to do that? Meiko-nee-san, I mean. It's weird." He had tried pointing this out to his sister before, and he had been ignored. But this time his sister would take a second, just a second, to think things over.

"Nah, I think it makes life more fun." She opened the journal, and began to flip through the pages.

Len facepalmed. Of course she would think that. Why was he expecting a different answer?  
>"I dunno.. I still think it's weird," he mumbled. His cheeks puffed out as he watched his sister look through the black journal.<p>

"Who cares what you think?" Rin snorted as she continued to skim through the journal. "You have the notes on Miki-nee and Miku-nee, right?"

The boy put one hand into the pocket of his sweatpants. When his fingers brushed against the small pieces of paper, he nodded his head at his sister.

Rin grinned, and went back to looking at the journal. She blinked, and then frowned at it. Nothing interesting was written there. In fact, it was empty. Each page was blank, and completely disappointing. "Man, Gumi-nee's so boring! Why would you buy a journal and not write anything in it?"

"I don't think she bought that… Remember? This is the journal that Miku-nee gave her as a present." Len shrugged his shoulders. And then something about the little journal caught his attention. The boy snatched the journal from her hands. "Wait, look… The pages in the beginning are torn out, see?" He flipped back to the beginning, and pointed at what remained of the torn pages. "Gumi-nee wrote something but took it out…"

The older twin stared at the spot, her expression blank. After a few seconds of silence, she threw her hands up into the air. "THAT'S STUPID! Why would you write something down and then rip it out! That's like… Defeating the purpose of even having a journal!"

_Smack._

Len used the spine of the journal and hit his sister on the head. "Shut up! Gumi-nee might hear you!" he whispered harshly. There was no mercy in his eyes as he glowered at Rin. The _last_ time the two had dared to come into Gumi's room uninvited, they had been severely punished in the bathroom. An aura of dread engulfed the boy as he recalled the roundhouse kick to the face that had sent his sister flying into the bubble bath, and the bar of soap that had left a monster of a bruise on the back of his head. After that morning, the twins had sworn to never break into Gumi's room ever again…

Too bad they couldn't keep to that promise.

Rin snatched the book back from Len, and repeated his action. The spine of the book crashed down onto his head with double the force. "Take that!" She brought the spine back down to strike him once more. "And that! Don't hit your Onee-chan!"

"Ack—Ow—oww! Onee-chan!" The younger twin crossed his arms over his head as a form of protection.

Ignoring his pleas, Rin's arm went up into the air once more as she prepared to strike Len once more. "Hiya—Ah?" The book had been pulled out of her hand.  
>Which was impossible. Len was cowering in fear beside her. But… Why could she feel the distinct aura of rage coming from behind her?<p>

Rin gulped, and slowly turned her upper body to look back at the menacing figure that was guaranteed to be standing there. And much to her horror, Gumi had woken up. The older girl held the black leather journal in her right hand, and her left hand resting on her hip. Emerald eyes were narrowed as they glared at the blonde girl. Normally, Rin would have pointed out that one of the straps of Gumi's black-and-white zebra print bra had fallen from her shoulder and was peeking out from beneath the green tank top that she had worn to bed… But… For once, Rin had decided to keep her mouth shut.

"What the _hell_ are you doing in my room at…" A pause as Gumi checked the time on the digital clock that was sitting on her desk. "7:55 in the God damned morning?" Her voice had a harsh edge to it, and both of the twins picked up on that.

They were listening to the voice of the grim reaper. A feminine, cranky, green haired reaper, but a grim reaper none the less.

"_O-ohayou gozaimasu_, Gumi-nee," Len stammered out, as he slowly brought his arms down from over his head. He gulped, and hid behind Rin. Older siblings were supposed to protect their younger siblings, right?

The elder twin put a grin on her face and chose to ignore the black aura surrounded Gumi and made itself visible to the twins. "Yeah! Good mornin', Gumi-nee!" She gave the fuming girl a cheeky grin. "Sleep well?"

Gumi felt her eye twitch as she continued to glare down at the twins.  
><em>Smack.<em>  
>She brought the spine of the book down onto Rin's head. And again. And again. And again. "DOES THIS ANSWER YOUR QUESTION! HUH? DOES IT!"<p>

"OW! OW! OW!" Rin flung her arms up over her head and began to run for the bedroom door. "TAKE LEN! YOU CAN KILL HIM! THAT'S FINE WITH ME! JUST DON'T HURT ME!" she screamed as she ran out of the room.

Len cowered beneath the all-powerful Megpoid Gumi. "Ah—Ano—I didn't—This wasn't my idea, I swear," he stammered, as he waved his hands in front of him feebly. The look of bloodlust on Gumi's face was doing nothing to calm his nerves. "We were just looking for.. Uhm.."

"For?"

"Paper! Yeah! Paper! We needed paper to write up something for one of our classes!" Len was desperately grasping at straws, and throwing out ideas. Anything to get him away from this deadly situation.

"Really?"

"Really! But, ah, since we didn't find any paper—"

"HE'S LYING! LEN WANTED TO READ ALL OF YOUR SECRETS!" Rin shouted from the hallway. Truth be told, she was standing outside of the room, curiously watching to see if Gumi would rip her brother to shreds.

"ONEE-CHAN!"

"I KNEW IT! YOU LYING BASTARD!" Gumi dropped the journal and lunged for Len, aiming for his neck.

The young boy let out a shriek of fear and sprinted for the door. "OHMYGODOHMYGOD!" He shot past Rin and continued down the hallway.

Rin blinked, unsure if that yellow bullet that had hurled past her was really her brother. "Eh—HOLY SHIT!"

"YOU PSYCHOTIC TWIIIIIINS!" Gumi jumped up, aiming a high kick at Rin's head. Fuel was only added to the fire when she realized that her foot failed to connect with the blonde head.

The younger girl had the sense to leap out of the way. Rin tumbled along the carpeted hallway, and stopped on her knees. She blinked, and looked back at Gumi, who stood in the middle of the hall, hands balled into fists. "Ah—Ano, G-Gumi-nee!" She put a nervous grin on her face as she watched the enraged girl step towards her. "Ya know, violence isn't always the answer, right? So you should let me and Len go free." She nodded and gave Gumi a thumbs up.

Gumi returned the gesture by turning her own thumb down.

"…Okay, how about you just let me go free, and I'll give you Len to destroy?" This time her other thumb went up.

Gumi obliged by putting her other thumb down as well.

Rin gulped. "Well.. That's not very reassuring—WHOA! WAIT!" She jumped aside once more, narrowly escaping another potentially lethal kick. "WHY DO YOU ALWAYS WANT TO KICK ME?" she whined, as she scrambled to her feet and began to run like a cheetah down the hall.

"I NEED TO PRACTICE MY KICKBOXING ON SOMEONE!" Gumi roared as she chased after the frantic blonde. That is, until a bedroom door swung open and someone grabbed her wrist. The act caught the furious greenatte off guard. The fact that someone was able to catch her while she was running was incredible in itself.

A drowsy redhead stepped out from her room, keeping a firm grip on Gumi's wrist. Miki yawned and rubbed at her eyes drowsily. "It's kind of early for all of you to be playing around in the hallway," she mused, as slipped her hand from Gumi's wrist and laced her fingers with the green haired girl's.

Although Gumi was still thoroughly pissed, her expression softened ever so slightly at the minute act of affection. "Er—But.. I need to go kill the twins first. And then I'm going back to sleep." She pulled her hand out of Miki's grip and dashed after the fleeing twins.

Miki sighed and shook her head.

* * *

><p>And this led them back to the present situation. Gumi had returned to Miki's room with a triumphant smirk. Miki had the sense to go ahead and call Miku to her room, feeling that some sort of meeting was about to take place.<br>Imagine her surprise when she saw Gumi return with the twins gagged and tied together by the wrists. They were dragged into Miki's bedroom, and unceremoniously dumped beside the bed.

"Anyway, now that _that's_ taken care of," Gumi began, as she brushed her hands together to shake off imaginary dust. "Let's get this meeting of the Secret Police started."

Both Miki and Miku exchanged looks.

"The brats have something to say. Don'tcha, psycho twins?" Gumi looked over the side of the bed. The smirk that she had worn when entering the room was replaced with the grin of a demon. She reached over and tugged the bandana out from Rin's mouth. "Wanna tell them what you told me?"

Len's eyes widened in fear and he began to uselessly struggle against the ropes that bound his wrists behind his back. He would have been able to escape if his wrists weren't also tied to Rin's.  
>Unlike her twin, Rin simply looked back up at Gumi. Now that she was seated, a surge of idiotic bravery overtook her. "Uh, no," she answered. "But maybe if you cook me breakfast I'll talk?"<p>

Her twin gave her a frantic look, silently pleading with her to just go ahead and spit it out.

Gumi scowled and leaned in closer to Rin. "How about you tell them what you told me about Meiko-nee and Lily-nee, cook me breakfast, and then I let you go?" she retorted. "Or you could just stay tied up like that for the rest of the day."

"Do I have the bandana back around my mouth if I pick the second option?"

"Yes."

"Will I be fed?"

"No."

"Oh." Rin sat there, weighing the options.  
>Len was still in a state of perpetual panic.<p>

Miki reached over and tugged on Gumi's tanktop. "_Ano_, Gumi-nee," she began slowly. "Don't you think that's a little harsh?" It was clear that she was not comfortable with the situation at hand.

Miku had to admit, despite knowing Gumi had a wild temper, this was a little beyond the norm. "I agree with Miki-chan, Gumi-chan," she chimed in, her usual fake smile gone. In its place was a disapproving frown. "This is a bit too much."

"Those little jerks—"

"Okay, I'll talk," Rin conceded, with a shrug of her shoulders. "But I'm not cooking breakfast. That's just humiliating!" She gave Gumi a cheeky grin.

The green haired girl rolled her eyes, but stretched out on the bed. "Whatever. Go ahead and talk."

Rin continued to grin. She looked a little triumphant that she was going to be able to get away from Gumi without receiving any extra bruises. "Well, it all started yesterday," she began, purposely making her voice sound distant as if she were recalling an ancient memory. "I was—"

Len felt a bead of sweat roll down his head. "Eh? Yesterday? Was I there?" He asked, his voice muffled by the bandana in his mouth.

The older twin glowered at her brother, and proceeded to head butt him. "No. Now shut up while your Onee-chan tells her story," she snapped, ignoring the grunt of pain from Len. "Like I was saying… Yesterday afternoon I was walking by Meiko-nee's room. And you know she's usually hanging out with Haku-san or with Kaito-nii, but she was in her room, so it was weird. Her door was open, too," she added as an afterthought. "Anyway. Like I said, the door was open and I could hear voices. It was kinda weird since I heard Lily-nee's voice coming in there from Meiko-nee's room. So, I decided to sit out in the hall and listen!" The blonde girl gave her senpais another cheek grin.

Miki stared at Rin, her mouth hanging open. "Rin-chan! You shouldn't do that—"

"Mou, Rin-chan's sneaky, isn't she?" Miku giggled. It was to be expected of the Kagamine girl.

Gumi put her arms behind her head and snorted. "Continue."

"Right! I sat down in the hallway next to her door and just listened to what they were saying," Rin continued, the grin on her face widening as she began to get caught up in her own story. "Meiko-nee was talking to Lily-nee about all sorts of stuff, and Lily-nee kept joking around, saying that Meiko-nee was drunk at 3 in the afternoon."

"Which wouldn't be surprising…" Gumi muttered under her breath as she closed her emerald eyes.

Rin laughed and shrugged her shoulders. "I know! But, uh, anyway… I think I heard Lily-nee stand up, but the weird part was, Meiko-nee mentioned that it'd be easy for Lily-nee to win Luka-nee if Lily-nee knew Miku-nee's weakness." Since her hands were tied, she nodded her head at Miku as if to emphasize this point.

At this, the teal haired girl tensed, her teal eyes widening a little bit in alarm.

"Eh? Really?" Len looked at his twin, a surprised expression on his youthful face. "Huh… I didn't think Meiko-nee would ever be sober enough to think of that."

"Yup. She said it'd be a piece of cake to get to Luka-nee if Miku-nee was beat by her own weakness," the blonde girl repeated. "But then Lily-nee said something like 'I can't fight Miku if she has Gumi-chan there to protect her. And there's Miki-chan, too.' Or something like that. Can't remember all the little details—"

"Whatever, keep going."

"Geez, okay, Gumi-nee…" Rin puffed her cheeks indignantly. "Meiko-nee kept talking about weaknesses and stuff, and I guess Lily-nee thought about it. Or something… Actually, I think she mentioned that she had a pretty good idea about Gumi-nee's weakness," she added thoughtfully. "They got up to leave, and I wasn't really paying attention to what they might be doing, so they caught me sitting out in the hallway." She scowled at the memory of being caught red-handed. "So they said they'd pay me if I could find out all of your weaknesses. 'Course I said yeah. I mean… Money just to sneak into people's rooms? I do that all the time, so I might as well be paid for it, right?"

Miki stared at Rin with a mixed expression of horror and disapproval.  
>Miku's pokerface smile was gone, and the color had drained from her cheeks.<p>

"Wait… Why did I get dragged into this?" The younger twin's words were still muffled by the bandana-gag, but he suddenly realized that his sister had failed to explain why he had become part of the plot.

A snort came from the elder Kagamine twin. "'Cause I'd need someone to sacrifice in case things became violent," Rin answered as if this were the most obvious answer in the world. "Duh."

Len sighed. Of course.

Rin nodded once. "So last night we—" she nodded her head at Len, "snuck into Miku-nee's room while she was sleeping. And then we slept over here in Miki-nee's room, woke up super early, searched her room, and went to Gumi-nee's room… And got caught."

Gumi took this as the end of Rin's elaborate tale. She sat up, and swung off of the bed. "Yup. And don't forget that you lot got your ass handed to you," she added, as she untied the twins of their bondage. "Now scram, before I change my mind about letting you go."

The twins did not need another warning, and they bolted from the bedroom. The door slammed shut behind them.

The commander of the Secret Police stood up, and folded her arms across her chest. As her fellow police members looked back at her, they noted the varying emotions that danced in Gumi's eyes.  
>Rage. Determination. And could that possibly be a hint of fear?<p>

"Right, now that we know what the enemy's up to," Gumi began, snapping the two long haired girls from their silent musings. "We can make sure we're prepared for whatever they might throw at us. And we'll have to keep an eye on our backs… We don't want them to find any of our weaknesses." Her brows creased together as she continued to give her closest friends a stern look. "You got that? I didn't think Meiko-nee would ever come up with something like _this…_ She's playing dirty, damn it, and we're not gonna let that slide. I'll fight her if I have to—"

"No."

Gumi's eyes honed in on Miku, who had swung her legs off from the bed. "What?"

"No," Miku repeated herself. "We're not fighting. I'm sorry that you two somehow became involved in this, but we're not going to fight." She frowned a little bit as she stood up. "I'm not going to drag the two of you down. It isn't fair of me to ask you two to get hurt because of me."

"We won't get hurt."

"You saying that won't make me change my mind," the teal haired girl retorted. "Just let me handle things my own way, okay? It was only supposed to be me that would be at risk of getting hurt. Not you, not Miki-chan… Just me. So please, can we leave it at that?" She sighed, and began to massage her temples. "I can handle this. I should have stuck with my simple plan from the very beginning. Now things are spiraling out of control—"

"Shut up!" Gumi snapped at her supposed best friend. "You're being an idiot! Geez, I hate when you try and do something like this! You're not invincible, ya know. It's not possible to be able to do everything on your own, or try and take care of yourself with something like this!" She clenched her hands into fists as she continued to glare at the frustrated teal haired girl. Why're you even apologizing? We're your _friends_, so of course we'd want to help you, even if you didn't ask for it!"

The redhead was quick to agree with the commander. "Y-yes, Miku-nee!" Miki managed to stammer out. "I would have wanted to do something to help you end up happily with Luka-nee, anyway. So—So I'm okay with all of this. Even if you didn't ask, I would have done something—"

This time it was Miku's turn to lose her composure. "That's exactly my point! I never asked for _either_ of you to involve yourself in this!" She gave her friends a frustrated look. "No one was supposed to get hurt. No one was supposed to get involved. It was just supposed to be an easy plan."

"But it's not anymore, so shut the hell up and let us help you," Gumi shot back. "Face it. We're already in too deep to try and get out, anyway."

Miku groaned and shook her head. She turned her back to her friends as she began to cross the room. "I give up," she sighed. "Do whatever you want, I guess." The teal haired girl opened the bedroom door, and stepped out of the room.

"Oh, trust me, we will," Gumi called out to Miku as the door clicked shut. As soon as it closed, Gumi promptly turned her head and frowned at Miki. "Sometimes I really wanna smack some sense into that girl."

The redhead sighed, and shook her head. "Mou, Gumi-nee, you just need to be patient with Miku-nee," she explained, as she stood up from her bed and strode to the closet. The girl was in search of a proper outfit to wear aside from her pajamas. After all, her crush was in the bedroom. It would hardly be appropriate to sit there in her jammies while talking to Gumi. "It's kind of obvious that she is pretty worried about us." Her tiny hands opened the door to her walk in closet, and she stepped inside, red eyes quickly looking over her clothes. "Just because of that smile that she always has, I thought she was okay…" She looked back at Gumi and saw the scowl on the short haired girl's face. "Well, maybe not 'okay'," Miki amended. "But I didn't think she was too concerned about how we felt about things."

Gumi shook her head, and sprawled out onto her back once more. Her hands were then thrust behind her head as she stared at the ceiling. "Yeah… I dunno. I hate that damn smile of hers," she griped. "Sure she's pretty when she smiles, but it's not the same as when we were dating. Or even before then. She's not _happy_ anymore, and I hate that. Miku worries too damn much about us and it's pissing me off. That chick needs to think about herself," she added. "Thinks she's all sneaky about worrying over us… Screw that! She should know that we would notice something was different!"

Miki began to unbutton her shirt. When she heard the end of Gumi's mini rant, she poked her head out from the closet, fingers still undoing the buttons to her red pajama shirt. "Mm, I guess you have a point there," she conceded, her lips turning down into a small frown. "But… Maybe Miku-nee has a good reason for not wanting anyone to worry about her?"

"Doubt it."

"… Well, she wasn't like this until the two of you broke up," Miki added quietly, before she ducked back into the closet to finish changing. "And for that matter, you sorta became weird when it came to Miku-nee after that. You're hot, then you're cold… You're yes, then you're no…"

At this, the green haired girl tensed. This was true. When it came to dealing with Miku, Gumi tended to either pull one of two acts; she was either completely okay with Miku and treated her as if all had been forgiven, or she would be completely fed up with Miku. The frown on her face widened as she closed her eyes to muse over their fall-out. It had been a pretty big deal within the mansion when they had first split. Most of the residents avoided saying something to Gumi for fear of being snapped at, except for Gakupo. Her purple haired cousin had been the only one to check up on her, and on occasion Miki and Luka would say a kind word to her in passing. "I… Guess you're right," she agreed with Miki after her long pause. "That doesn't change the fact that Miku's being stupid right now."

"I don't think she's being stupid," Miki came out from the closet, dressed in a fitted light green hoodie, and denim skinny jeans. The long haired girl sat down beside Gumi on the bed, and looked down at her with her wide red eyes. "I understand why she's a little upset with us, but… I don't think you should call her stupid."

"Why's that?" Gumi opened one eye and peered up at Miki.

"Because you're just saying that because you're worried about her, too," the younger girl answered, as she flicked her bangs out of her eyes with a quick move of her hand. There was a smile on her face as she continued to speak. "Even though you complain, and you're hurting, you're still worried. It's hard to watch someone you love struggle with something that they can't handle on their own. And it's harder to hear them reject your help."

Gumi clenched her teeth and rolled onto her side so her back was to Miki. She said nothing in response, but she knew Miki was right. "Hmph…"

The ahoge'd girl merely shook her head at Gumi's childish act. "And, you know, as much as I know you're hurting over seeing Miku-nee like this," she hesitated before she continued to speak. "I think it's great that you still care so much about her after everything that happened… You're a really good friend to her. She's very lucky to have you to rely on."

The green haired girl shut her eye and shrugged her shoulders. "Nah, you're being too nice. I'm not that great," she mumbled in protest. "If I was a good friend, I'd find some way to convince her that it's fine if we help her. And I'd find some way to help her wrap things up so she could be with Luka-nee, not join her in this game that she's in." She paused and punched the bed. "And if I was so great, I wouldn't get mad at her all the time. She's just so… So.."

Miki looked at Gumi in alarm. "'So…?'"

"I hate her so much…"

"Do you mean that…?" Miki asked reproachfully.

"… Sometimes."

With a sigh, Miki laid down next to Gumi. She hesitantly wrapped her arms around Gumi's waist, and buried her nose into the other girl's back. "No, you don't mean that at all… Why do you think you have to be so angry with her all of the time?"

Gumi stiffened, and nearly pulled herself out of the embrace. Even though she had promised Miki that she would open up more, it didn't change the fact that talking about all of this was painful. She wasn't ready to completely spill her guts out to the younger girl. "Can we drop it? I don't.. Not now, Miki-chan.. Not now."

"Alright… Is it okay if we stay like this for a little bit longer?" Miki asked, her voice muffled by Gumi's clothes and back. "This hug I mean.."

The older girl was quiet for a few seconds. "Yeah," she breathed out. "That's fine.." Although she may not be ready to break every single wall down, Gumi decided it would be alright to let her guard down just a little bit when she was around Miki.

* * *

><p>"'Sup, kiddos?" Meiko sat beside Lily in the dining room. They were merely munching on toast, but they were dining nonetheless. "Did ya get any new info?" Her deep brown eyes looked at the twins who had entered the room expectantly. A wide grin was on her face as she took a bite out of her breakfast.<br>Her companion, on the other hand, did not glance up from her toast. Lily sat in the chair beside Meiko's, yet her deep blue eyes were focused on her breakfast. Truth be told, she was not completely awake yet, and it had amazed her that Meiko had been the one to awake her from her slumber. She absentmindedly brushed her blonde bangs out of her face before she bit down on the corner of her bread.

The elder twin gave Meiko a thumbs up as she took the seat opposite of her. "Yup! I thought we were gonna die, but hey, we still got it!" Prior to locating Meiko and Lily, the Kagamines had both decided it would be best if they did not tell their employers that they had nearly died to try getting these precious secrets.  
>Rin looked up at her brother, who stood beside her chair. "Hurry up, <em>imouto<em>, and give Meiko-nee the notes."

Len twitched when he was referred to, once more, as a 'younger _sister.'_ "Mou, Onee-chan… I'm not your little sister—"

"Yeah, yeah, just give the papers over."

The boy sighed, and pulled the crumpled pieces of notebook paper from his pocket. He set them down on the table and slid them over to the eagerly waiting brunette. The papers were snatched up almost immediately, and those chocolate eyes quickly skimmed over the words that were hastily scrawled upon them.

"Ah, man, this is some great stuff," Meiko exclaimed, with a laugh. "There's definitely some workable material here." She glanced at her half-asleep companion, and gleefully waved the papers in front of Lily's face. "Lookie here! Now we know Gumi-chan's and Miki-chan's weaknesses, or at least… What'll really bother them," she corrected herself. "Now we just need to find out Miku-chan's weakness, and you'll be able to snatch up Luka-san for sure."

As soon as Meiko had finished speaking, Lily gave Meiko a side-long glance. Her mind was becoming more coherent, and she was slowly picking up on what the brunette was telling her. "Huh—Wha—Oh, really?" she mumbled, as she rubbed at her eyes. "Great? And how are we s'posed to find that out? I swear that girl has the creepiest smile… And she never really talks about how she's feeling anyway—"

"But you said she talks to Luka-san, right?"

"Right-… Oh…" Lily blinked a few times as she realized what Meiko was trying to get at. "Huh. But I doubt Luka-chan'll tell me anything that Miku's told her." She shrugged her shoulders, and tore off a piece of her toast. "Luka's always been really good at keeping other people's secrets. So that's not going to work."

Meiko shook her head no. "Nope, you're wrong. That's not what I was trying to say," she gave all three of the blondes a devilish grin. "Trust me… I can find out her weakness."

Lily snorted, and popped the piece of toast into her mouth. "Yeah? Are you going to make little robot spies and send them around the mansion?" she joked.

"Actually… Yeah."

Lily choked on her toast, and the twins promptly burst out into laughter at the sight of the coughing elder blonde. When the offending piece of food had been dislodged from her throat, Lily managed to croak out a single word. "_What?"_

"Nah, I was kidding," Meiko waved a hand dismissively. The corners of her mouth curved into a devious smirk. "Actually. I don't think we really need to know Miku-chan's weakness at this point. I already know Gumi-chan's weakness, and we know Miki-chan's weakness. This is going to be a piece of cake… We're going to _annihilate_ them."

At this, Len stiffened, and Rin gave the brunette a curious expression. "Hey, Meiko-nee, why're you so worked up about all of this? Are you mad at them?" she asked, knowing that her brother was dying to know the same.

"Eh?" Meiko's smirk was wiped off of her face when she was asked for the reasons behind her actions. "That's because Gumi-nee put hair dye on my face!" she exclaimed, her brows creasing together as she recalled the memory. "That brat has no respect for her elders! I'll make her regret ever messing with me!" The oldest girl in the dining room stood up on her chair, and planted one foot down on the table. She began to punch at the air, imagining that she was fighting the green haired girl. "I'm going to take her down with a one-two punch! And then she'll shut the hell up once and for all!"

The twins stifled their laughter; Rin's hand was covering Len's mouth, and Len's hand was covering Rin's mouth. Both of their shoulders quavered as they continued to try and keep their snickering down to a minimum.  
>Across from them, Lily stared at the brunette. "Are you fighting a ghost?" she snickered, as she shook her head.<p>

"Shut up!" Meiko roared, as she pointed a finger down at Lily. "I'M GOING TO HELP YOU TAKE GUMI-CHAN DOWN, ONCE AND FOR ALL! NOW GO CALL THAT GIRL I TOLD YOU ABOUT AND TELL HER WHAT TO DO!"

"Sure, sure. But, you're stepping on your toast." The eldest blonde pointed at Meiko's foot, which was indeed squishing the golden brown bread.

"Huh—AH! MY BREAKFAST!"

The twins promptly burst out into a fight of uncontrollable laughter.

* * *

><p>A day had passed since the revelation that Meiko was now part of this dangerous game of chess between Miku and Lily. The thought of having to consider Meiko as an enemy scared Miki just a little bit. She was unsure of what the older girl was capable of, or how the brunette could possibly change the tide of this complicated war. Rather than spend another afternoon thinking about what Meiko may know, the redhead had decided to spend her time playing DDR.<p>

Although she was alone in the game room, Miki did not mind, for the music that came from the dance machine was enough to keep her at ease. When she played DDR, all of her attention became concentrated on stepping on the appropriate arrows beneath her feet. And so time passed her by as she glided along the dance pad. From playing single mode on the expert and challenge difficulties, she switched to playing doubles on expert with the arrows reversed. Normally, having the arrows flow from the top of the screen to the bottom would confuse her, but she needed a challenge. She needed something to help keep her distracted from that headache of a situation between Miku and Lily.

"_Love! Love! Love! Love!  
>L-l-l-love shine! YEAH!"<em>

The voice of Riyu Kosaka sang from the machine as Miki continued to press her feet down on the flashing arrows.

"Nya~ Miki-chan's so good at this game!" A voice said from behind her.

At the sound of the voice, Miki tripped over her own feet, and fell onto the floor of the game room. She groaned and her eyes were tightly closed. That voice shouldn't be here. They didn't live here. And besides, there was no real reason for _that_ girl to visit… And just hearing that voice made her chest tighten from the previous heartbreak she had experienced from this girl.

"Ah! Miki-chan!" Now the voice was right above her. "Are you okay?"

Hesitantly, Miki opened her ruby orbs and looked straight into the bright yellow ones of her previous crush. "Ah… I-Iroha-senpai… Y-yes, I'm fine…"

Nekomura Iroha gave her a cat-like smile, as she helped the ahoge'd girl stand up. The older girl's long, light pink hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Even though her hair was tied up, it still reached to at least the back of her knees. With her hands on her hips, she laughed. "Wow! I didn't know you got so good at DDR!" she exclaimed. "But I guess it has been a while since I last visited."

"Ah.. Y-yes, it has been a while," Miki agreed, as her red eyes looked over the other girl. The other girl was a Vocaloid, but since she had been primarily sponsored by the famous Sanrio company, Iroha lived in her own plush apartment away from the Vocaloid mansion. And based on Iroha's outfit, it would appear that the other girl was fine. Black cardigan, light gray blouse, designer khaki skinnies… "Ano, are you here to visit everyone?" She nervously clasped her hands behind her back, and avoided making direct eye contact. Those golden orbs, as beautiful as they may be, were still a little painful to look at.

"Eh?" Iroha's grin only became wider. "Nope! Just here to visit you!"

Miki felt her heart clench once more. While she had once had a huge crush on this cat-like girl, she had been promptly rejected. And since then, Miki had avoided seeing Iroha… But that wasn't to say that she was completely over the golden eyed girl. "Oh? Is that so?"

"Yup!" Sanrio's sponsored Vocaloid hopped up onto the dancepad and pressed a finger against the control panel in search of a song. "I missed seeing you around! You stopped coming to visit me, ya know, and that kinda sucked. It was nice to have you around." She looked over her shoulder at the somewhat shocked redhead. Iroha gave Miki what one would describe as a 'puppy-dog-face', but somehow Iroha managed to look more like a kitten. Maybe working with Sanrio and Hello Kitty was having a lasting mark on Iroha…

"H-huh?" Miki gulped, and she could have sworn that her heart had stopped beating. "You're visiting—Me? Why?"

"I just told you that I missed you, didn't I?"

"Well—Y-yeah, but—I don't—That's great?"

"Isn't it?" Iroha went back to giving Miki a Cheshire cat grin. "You're just too cute to stay away from! I missed seeing you."

"_Huh? _I'm not—W-well—Ah, th-thank you for saying so…_" _This was all too confusing for the poor ahoge'd girl. No matter how she looked at this situation, she was still having trouble comprehending that Nekomura Iroha actually missed her. She paused and thought it over once more. Actually… It would make sense for Iroha to feel lonely at times. After all, she was living alone in that apartment. The other Vocaloids would visit her on occasion, but Miki had been the only one to consistently visit on a day to day basis. "Uhm… I missed seeing you, too.." It was the truth. She had missed Iroha, even though the 17 year old had broken her heart. Granted, Miki did sort of spring the news on the cat-like girl, but Iroha simply did not possess the tact to gently decline Miki's feelings. It had been more of a blunt "I don't like you that way" sort of situation.

"Ah, really!" Iroha exclaimed, as she tackled the younger girl into a tight hug. "Yay! Maybe you can stop by and hang out with me more!" Her golden eyes were closed as she pressed her cheek against the younger girl's and rubbed them. "So cute. I forgot how adorable you were!"

"Wh-wh-what!" Miki sputtered as her eyes went wide and a wild blush spread across her cheeks. "Ah—Ano—I-Iroha-senpai! Th-that's not true—"

"And so modest! Mou, you're just an overdose of cuteness!" The pinkette buried her nose into Miki's cheek and mewed. "Nya, nya! _Kawaii~"_

"I-Iro-Iroha-sen-…"

"Eh?" Iroha looked at the girl who had slumped over in her arms. It would appear that Miki had passed out from the intense scarlet blush that had seemingly engulfed her entire body. "Oops…."

* * *

><p>Out in the hallway, Meiko and Lily were leaning against the wall beside the door to the game room. With a triumphant smirk, the brunette stood up and began to walk down the hallway. It seems that Miki was not impervious to the effects of an unhealed broken heart. Now that she knew that Miki was vulnerable to Iroha, she was positive that they would be able to bring down Gumi, and in a domino-like effect, Miku as well. "I told you this would work," she said to the blonde that trailed behind her.<p>

"Yeah, I guess…" Lily had a slightly reproachful expression on her face. "I dunno if it's the right thing to do… Using their weaknesses.."

"All's fair in love and war."

The blonde was quiet for a moment. She then nodded. "Right. This is war." Her hands were balled into fists as she strode past the brunette with a look of pure determination plastered onto face. "Miku is going _down._"

At this, Meiko laughed. "Don't forget Gumi-chan! She needs to go down, too... Marring my face with that damned hair dye..."

"I don't care what happens to Gumi-chan at this point," Lily replied as she narrowed her eyes. "If she gets hurt because she's involved with Miku, then fine... Whatever. This is war now."

The brunette smirked and shook her head and quoted a song made famous by one of their famous Vocaloids.  
>"'Love is war'."<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Note: <strong>Shorter chapter than some of the last few, but I hope you all enjoyed it!  
>Ah, for those of you who don't know, Nekomura Iroha is a Vocaloid running on the Vocaloid2 software. She's the official Vocaloid of the Sanrio – Hello Kitty company. XP Although she may not be one of my favorites, I do enjoy her. Especially the songs "Neko Neko Super Fever Night" and "Behind the Door."<p>

_Review Replies:_

_Major Mike Powell III:_ Yeah… Writing about Miku's empty smile creeps me out sometimes, too. Hahahah. XD;; I'm glad to hear you did enjoy the chapter! Thanks!

_LukaFan: _Yes, Lily did mess up big time, but she knows that. Ah, about Gumi and Miki, Miku's simply worried that things may end poorly between the two. But only because she knows that if things went wrong, Gumi would probably end up treating Miki the same way she treats Gumi now.. In a love-hate sort of situation.  
>LOL. I giggled at the thought of someone walking around with "GAKUPO" scribbled on their forehead. Silly fans!<br>And wow…. Yeah, those definitely beat my dream LOL. Thank you for reading and reviewing! :D

_Meislovely: _Hey! Pass the sake over here! Hahaha! Thanks for the review. Your friends are pretty funny, too. :P

_Blahblahblah: _Aw! :D I'm glad that you really enjoy both of my stories! That means a lot. Thank YOU for reading and reviewing!

_PaperCutVictim: _Gah. What haven't we covered in our PM? Lol xD Thanks for the review, though!  
>(Miki: :c … Can we please not talk about my underwear?)<p>

_Jak656: _Even if your mind was hazy, I still appreciate that you reviewed! :D See you in the next chapter!

_Kokoro Tenno: _Wow.. o.o My story kept you up late? I'm sorry if you ended up being tired at school! But I was VERY happy to read your review. It was very detailed! Thank you so much! :D And don't even worry about rambling. I love reading long reviews. I'll do my best to continue to meet your expectations!

_Chinesis' Fan: _Ah, I can't tell you what'll happen later on! But thank you for reading and reviewing!

_Rocketman182:_ Thank you so much! ;w; Thank you for reading and reviewing!

Okay! Once again, I'd like to thank you all for sticking through with the story! It really does mean a lot that all of you enjoy "Slice of Life" so much! (And those of you who like "Matryoshka!", thank you for your added support! :D). You're all amazing people. ;w;  
>I'll see you all in the next chapter!<p> 


	18. Trick and Treat

**Slice of Life**

**Chapter 18 – Trick and Treat**

I have a Chemistry lab report that I should be typing up; but, at the moment, I would much rather write out another chapter for this story. XP  
>Be prepared, though. This is a long chapter… But…. I hope all of you enjoy it!<p>

**Disclaimer:** Vocaloids? Me? Own them? No, never.

* * *

><p>Halloween. It was finally Halloween and the entire mansion was in an uproar. The residents had busily decorated the doors of their bedrooms and the outside of their residency with the traditional Western trinkets: "tombstones" had been set on the lawn lining the driveway, the doorbell would let out a shriek of terror rather than ring, a ghost hung from the ceiling and would greet visitors who happened to have the misfortune of entering the house before their Vocaloid host did. These preparations were done just for this night, and only for this night. An interview with a major television studio was going to take place later that day, and this interview happened to include a short tour of the mansion. Each Vocaloid was expected to sit down with the interviewer for a short interview and answer questions that came from the studio and from each of their respective fan bases. And they were all expected to be dressed appropriately. For Halloween, that is.<p>

And Gumi absolutely despised the idea. Although she had (slowly) grown accustomed to the lifestyle that the Vocaloids had led, she was still irritated with having to be interviewed every now and again for the latest issue of a pop culture magazine or a segment of a TV show. It was not that she hated the people who conducted these interviews (yet sometimes the interviewers did piss her off); it was more accurate to say that Gumi hated going through the process of _getting ready_ for those public appearances. Sitting in that chair while others applied her make-up or styled her hair for her. It made her skin crawl. Just the _thought_ of even being anywhere near that damned chair made her want to punch someone in the face. All of those brushes laid out on the make-up counter and the bright light that shone in her face… It was irritating to sit through.

But somehow, she had a bad feeling about today…

Gumi chose to ignore this feeling and allowed a frustrated sigh to escape her lips. She glanced at the clock on her bedside table. The red digital numbers screamed back at her "12:30 PM". She needed to get up if she were to shower and get ready in time for her share of the interview. She needn't worry about the tour about the mansion. She was sure that Luka had taken care of that, and Gumi was perfectly okay with the strong possibility of having been recorded sleeping. With puffed up cheeks, Gumi sat up and ran her hands quickly through her hair as a lazy attempt to brush it. The girl got up from the bed and pulled her oversized white t-shirt off. "Hmph… I wonder what everyone else is up to," she muttered to herself, when she realized she would barely see the others until the group interview that took place at the end of the day. Everyone was busy getting ready themselves….

* * *

><p><strong>Kaito<strong>

The eldest Vocaloid had been awake long before Gumi had ever opened her eyes. He was in his room, staring at the two costumes he had laid out on his bed. A wide grin was on the blue haired man's face as he picked up one of them. "This is going to be great!" Kaito laughed to himself, as he began to take his clothes off. Finding this costume online had caused the normally ice cream obsessed man to forget about the container of ice cream that he had bought that day. Yes, this costume was _incredible_. True, he had purchased a second costume just in case his manager did not approve of his first choice; but Kaito failed to see how anyone could reject such an amazing costume. A laugh escaped him as he began to pull the costume on.

A knock came from his bedroom door, and he glanced at it. "Shion-san!" his manager's voice squeaky voice called out. "Please hurry! Your interview starts in five minutes!"  
>Kaito knew that his petite manager was probably frantically looking over the tentative schedule that the Vocaloid producers had laid out. As an act of mercy, he put the finishing touches onto his costume before he threw the bedroom door open.<p>

"GO, GO, POWER RANGERS!" He shouted, as he roll dived into the hallway. He leapt to his feet, and thrust one fist into the air. "BLUE RANGER, REPORTING FOR DUTY—"

"No. No! Absolutely not!" The frantic female protested. She threw her pen at Kaito's helmeted head. "Take it off and change into the other costume at once!"

A whine came from the_ sentai_ ranger. "Eh? Do I have to take it off?" Kaito whined. "I think it's awesome!"

"TAKE IT OFF!"

Kaito groaned, and went back into his room to change.  
>An outfit change, a brief argument with his manager, another outfit change and 5 minutes later, Shion Kaito was seated on the black leather arm chair in the main living room of the mansion. The room was the first sight that guests saw when the giant double doors were opened. The TV studio found it fitting to conduct all of the interviews here. They reasoned that it would give the viewers a better feel of things if it were in this room, especially since the interviews would be broadcasted <em>live<em>.

The blue haired man had successfully managed to convince the frantic manager to let him wear the Power Ranger costume. A proud smile was on his face as he removed the helmet and set it down on the arm of the chair. Judging from the grin on the interviewer's face, Kaito knew he was going to have fun with this interview.

"Alright, Shion-san. Thanks for joining us! I'm the host, Tainaka Ritsu," the host of the TV show began. "Time to kick off the interview! We have several questions from the official fan site for you and the other Vocaloids. We also have questions from our own website."

"Just call me 'Kaito', please," Kaito nodded as he leaned back in his chair. "And alright, Tainaka-san. Go ahead."

The interviewer picked up a notecard from a pile that sat beside her on the table. "Let's see… 'What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?'" She looked up from the card and looked at Kaito expectantly.

Kaito stared at the man, his mouth hanging open in an 'o' shape. "I have to pick _one?"_

"… Yes."

"IMPOSSIBLE!" The blue haired Vocaloid exclaimed. "I love them all. Next question."

"O-okay.. Uh… 'Would you rather go a week without ice cream, or a week without seeing Meiko-san?'"

Kaito's answer came immediately. "I'd go a week without seeing Mei-chan."

Off to the side, Gakupo facepalmed. "_Kaito's damned lucky that Meiko-san woke up late and is still getting her costume on, or he would be a dead man…"_ he thought to himself.

The interviewer laughed, and continued on with the questions.

* * *

><p><strong>Meiko<strong>

Towards the end of Kaito's interview, the brunette slid into place beside Gakupo, her costume now complete. The eldest girl of the Vocaloid residency wore extremely short black shorts with a red belt looped around the waistband. Rather than a shirt, Meiko's costume designer had decided to take a white tube top and cut off the bottom half. Now that the white piece was on the girl, it covered her bust, but left room for the imagination of her rabid fanboys to run wild. On top of this white cut-off tube top was a short black vest. The outfit was completed by black knee-high boots with red laces and white trim, as well as a black pirate hat and an eye patch with a heart stitched onto it.

"Did I miss anything?" Meiko asked, as she lifted up her eye patch so she could look at the purple haired mobster that stood beside her. She looked over his gray pinstripe suit, and the black button down that was unbuttoned at the top with the white tie loosely tied. "Hmph… Western gangster?"

Gakupo chuckled softly and nodded. "Yes, actually, that's what my manager recommended," he answered. "But no, you didn't miss anything." His purple eyes flickered over to the armchair when he saw Kaito stand up and thank the interviewer for his time. "I do believe it's your turn now, Meiko-san."

Meiko flipped the eyepatch down to cover one of her chocolate orbs, and adjusted her hat carefully before she strode across the room. Before she took her seat, she grabbed Kaito and pulled him into a quick, but passionate kiss. She released him, and sank into the seat. The blue haired man stumbled towards Gakupo with a goofy grin on his face.  
>Gakupo simply shook his head at the two.<p>

"Ah, wow, you look great, Sakine-san—"

"Meiko."

"Meiko-san!" The interviewer amended. She cleared his throat, and tried not to stare at Meiko's exposed cleavage. "Er, anyway… Interview, right?"

The brunette held a hand up to halt the young woman before he asked her the first question. "Oi, can I get a drink here?" she called out to whoever happened to be manning the snack table. When she saw the producers shake their head no, she scowled. "What? Why not?" she demanded. "It's just one drink!"

A bead of sweat rolled down the side of the interviewers head. She had heard about Sakine Meiko's drinking habits… But asking for a drink in the middle of an interview?

Meiko let out a frustrated sigh, and shook her head. She then waved her hand towards Ritsu, motioning for the girl to go ahead and continue.

"Uh—Let's see-… First question," Tainaka Ritsu cleared her throat once more. "What's the best drink you have ever had?"

"All of them are amazing," Meiko answered with a flat tone. "Next."

Ritsu stared at Meiko. She hoped that at least one of the Vocaloids would answer a question properly. "'How about your best date ever?'" She tore her tawny eyes away from the card and looked into chocolate eyes. "Ne? Describe it?"

Meiko drummed her fingers along the armrest and grinned. "Well, the best date I've ever been on was with Kai-kun," she began. "And we went to a bar! I guess I was pretty drunk because he helped walk me back home. Once we got here, we hung out in my room. From there, things got a little bit spicy if you know what I mean—"

"WHOA, WHOA!" Gakupo stumbled into the view of the camera, his arms flailing. He stood beside the armchair, arms up in the air in an "X" formation. "Meiko-san! You can't say things like that!"

"_Nani_? What" She looked up at the purple haired mobster, feigning confusion. "Why not? I'm just answering the question."

"Just—No! Let me go ahead and do my interview!" Gakupo insisted, as he shook his head furiously. "Something normal!"

Meiko stood up on the armchair, kicked Gakupo off screen, and sat back down. "Like I was saying, things got a little heated, and that was that," she finished her story.

Ritsu simply stared at Meiko. "Right.. Well, next we have Kamui Gakupo-san!" she said quickly, eager to escape another awkward answer to a seemingly innocent question. She waved over at the crew to push the purple haired man back onto the set.

The brunette scowled when she realized that she was forcibly being removed. "This is some bull sh—"A bottle of sake was waved at her from off screen, and the brunette promptly shut her mouth. She stood up, and scurried over to the refreshment table, arms outstretched towards the bottle. Gakupo merely watched as Meiko left, and he sighed. Was everyone in this mansion insane?

Oh wait. Of course they were.

With another shake of his head, the long haired boy strode towards the interview area, sank into the black leather armchair, and offered the interviewer an apologetic smile.

* * *

><p><strong>Gakupo<strong>

"Call me 'Gakupo'," the purple haired man said before Ritsu could even begin to introduce him to the viewers at home. He continued to give the tawny haired girl an apologetic smile, hoping that by some miracle, the viewers would forget about the embarrassing interviews that came before his. He knew it was unlikely, but he liked to hope.

"Right, well, Gakupo-san, it's your turn for our interview!" Ritsu grinned, feeling a little relieved that Gakupo seemed normal. At least, he seemed more normal when compared to the blue and red Vocaloids. But looks could be deceiving. "There have been a lot of rumors going around about your relationship status," she began, as she looked at the first notecard that had been labeled in purple marker to signify that this was intended for Kamui Gakupo.

At this, Gakupo raised a brow. "Oh? Rumors?" he repeated, sounding a little surprised. "I haven't heard of any. What is the world saying about me, Tainaka-san?"

The girl's amber eyes skimmed through the note card, and she failed to suppress the grin that had crept its way onto her face. "Apparently you have been spotted about the city with a girl on your arm, ne?" She asked, an almost teasing edge to her tone. It was suddenly becoming hard for her to stay professional and keep herself from teasing the now blushing man before her. "The first incident was a few months ago, when you were seen waiting at the train station. And you were accompanied by a young woman to the movies that same afternoon."

Off to the side, a snort came from the now properly dressed Megpoid Gumi. A pilot's outfit had been thrown on her; khaki skinnies tucked into knee high brown leather boots, as well as a white low cut tank-top beneath a tight fitting aviator jacket which had been left unzipped. (She had insisted on the outfit so she could continue to wear her trademark red goggles. After she had dressed, she did admit that the costume looked much better on her than she had originally thought.) A month or so ago? At the train station? That must have been the date she had set up using the eHarmony accounts. She had completely forgotten that her onii-san had gone on a date of his own; her own attentions had been focused on helping Miku that she had forgotten to check up on her elder cousin. A shame, really, since they lived in the same house. With a shrug, she folded her arms across her chest, her black leather gloved hands clenched into fists.

Gakupo could not hide the faint pink that had appeared on his cheeks, but he let out a good natured chuckle. "Oh, yes," he nodded. "I did go on a date with her back then. That was when we first met, actually."

"Eh?" Ritsu blinked. "You never met her before then? Then how did you end up going on a date with her? Or did Gakupo-san use his gentleman charms to snatch up a date?" This last sentence was aimed at the viewers at home, and the tawny haired girl winked at the camera.

"No, no," Gakupo laughed once more. "I didn't really do anything to get on a date with her, actually. My younger cousin, Gumi-chan, was the one who had made the arrangements."

A camera instantly swung around and zoomed in on Gumi.

The green haired girl twitched, but she gave a passive nod at the camera, and shoo'd it away with one hand. "It's not my turn to be interviewed yet," Gumi said as she shook her head once.  
>The cameraman obliged, and turned the lens back to Gakupo.<p>

"Go on!" Ritsu grinned. "Tell us more!"

"Well, Gumi-chan and the other Vocaloids—Well, the younger ones—decided to play a little prank on Lily-san, Luka-san, and myself," the mobster explained, as he set his arms down on the armrest. "They made accounts for us on one of those dating websites, thinking it would be funny to see us go on a date with complete strangers. So, they made the accounts and put us up to these little dates. I didn't think it would be anything special, but I ended up having fun on my date." The long haired man went on to tell the tale of his date; how they went and had a small lunch, saw a movie, and he walked her to the train smile became a little bit wider. "It's a shame that she and I haven't really seen each other much since then, though. Only on occasion do we get coffee together."

The interviewer nodded, but there was a mischievous glint in her eyes. "So what does that mean, exactly?"

"Huh?"

"Are you single or in a relationship?"

Gakupo stifled a laugh, and shook his head. "Single," he answered. "And very much so."

"I see!" Ritsu pointed at the camera. "Did you hear that ladies! He's still _single!"_

Another chuckle came from the interviewee. "Yes, I am single," Gakupo repeated once more. "But if there happens to be a young lady out there who would like to become _Mrs. Kamui_—Oof!"

His sentence was interrupted by the brown leather glove that had smacked him in the face at high speed. With one hand, he picked up the glove, and with the other, he rubbed his now red cheek. "What the—Gumi-chan!" Gakupo glowered at his younger cousin.

Gumi, who was still leaning against a wall, glared back at him. "Nii-san, you're not allowed to get married," she said flatly, highly un-amused with his interview. "You're not allowed to reproduce, either."

"Excuse me?" Gakupo frowned.  
>Ritsu had to cover her mouth with one hand to keep herself from bursting out into laughter.<p>

"You're not allowed to get married or have kids," she repeated, with a roll of her eyes. "We can't have any more purple haired buffoon's running around. And besides, I don't see anyone falling in love with you any time soon—eh?" She stopped midsentence when she felt a weight on her shoulder. A frown was on her face as she looked up into the light blue eyes of Megurine Luka. "Oh, Luka-nee." Gumi nodded in acknowledgement. The short haired girl noted that trailing behind Luka at a distance was Lily, who had a bloody handkerchief pressed against her nose.

Luka gave Gumi a weary smile. "Gumi-chan, I think that's enough of picking on Gakupo-san, don't you think?" she asked, her voice ever so calm.

Gumi contemplated this for a moment. She shrugged her shoulders. "Sure."

Gakupo stared at Gumi and Luka, amazed at the fact that Gumi had obliged to Luka's subtle request. How could Luka pull that off when he couldn't and he was _related_ to Gumi? He shook his head in disbelief, and stood up from the armchair. "Ah, maybe Luka-san should have her interview now?"

Ritsu nodded. "That's fine," she agreed. "Megurine-san?" With a wave of her hand, she gestured for the bi-lingual girl to take a seat.

The pink haired girl turned her smile to Ritsu, and she went and sat down in the arm chair.

* * *

><p><strong>Luka<strong>

_During Meiko and Gakupo's interview…_

Luka was in her closet, her light blue eyes staring at the costume that hung from the hook before her. Just looking at the costume was embarrassing enough, and she wasn't sure if she should be angry that she had to wear it, or extremely embarrassed. But she had no one to blame, after all. She had told Lily to go to the Vocaloid webpage and post a poll on what costume she should wear when she couldn't decide on a single one. And it came as a shock when one choice won by a landslide of votes. Now here she was, staring at the black and white costume.

"Oi, Lu-chan," Lily called from the bedroom. She was sprawled out on Luka's bed, already dressed in her dark navy, almost black, police officer outfit. The costume was a one piece, with the bottom portion being rather short. Admittedly, the entire outfit was a little skimpy, but like Luka, Lily had decided to poll her costume. She stared at her exposed cleavage, and tried once more, in vain, to button the outfit up. She let out a frustrated sigh and gave up when the button snapped off. "Lu-chan, you better hurry. I'm pretty sure your interview is coming up real soon."

"Okay!" Luka called out from the closet. She began to undress. "Ano, Lily-chan?"

"Mm?"

"Do you know what happened to Miku-chan?" the pink haired girl asked. "She hasn't been herself lately. Especially when she sees you or me; it's kind of like she doesn't know how to behave around us." She paused as she struggled to pull the black fish-lace tights on. "Did something happen?"

"No idea."

"Oh…" Lily heard the disappointment in Luka's voice. "But… Mmm… She came up to me saying that her and I couldn't stay close to one another or talk the same way," Luka tried to explain. "Does that mean she doesn't like me anymore?"

Lily was quiet as she tried to formulate her answer. She could lie, and say that Miku had completely lost interest in Luka. That option would probably make her life a hell of a lot easier since it would effectively eliminate Miku from the competition to win Luka over. Or she could tell the truth and say that Miku still had strong feelings for Luka, and that there was something wrong. The blonde scowled at the ceiling and began to drum her fingers against her stomach as she tried to figure out what to do .

"Lily-chan?"

"Eh—Ah, uh…" Lily stammered. "Nah, I dunno what that means." She shrugged, deciding to go for some sort of compromise of an answer. "Maybe she does still like you, maybe she doesn't." The blonde's fingers continued to beat against her stomach as she kept up the little white lie. "Why? Do you miss her strawberry chapstick?" She asked with a snicker.

From the closet, Lily hear a squeal. "Wh-wh-what!" Luka stammered as she poked her head out from the closet, her cheeks red. "N-no! That's not it!"

Lily pushed herself up with her elbows and grinned back at her blushing friend. "Eh? So what is it then?" She asked. "Were you hoping to take advantage of a young, love-struck, girl? That's naughty, Lu-chan. Shame on you!" The grin on her face only widened when she saw how dark Luka's cheeks had become.

"N-n-n-n-no!" Luka groaned, and hid in the closet. "_Baka!_ It isn't like that!"

"Oh, okay, okay," Lily backed off. "I'm sorry. You weren't trying to take advantage of her, but you were just wondering if she switched from strawberry chapstick to mango chapstick. I gotcha."

"Li-Lily! Stop that!"

Hearing Luka flustered like this always brought a smile to Lily's face. It had been a while since she had last teased Luka like this. "I get it. I'm not good enough for you, so you want to have Miku-chan, too." She was half-kidding now, for she really did want to hear Luka's opinion on the love triangle. To her surprise, Luka was silent. "…Lu-chan?"

"Lily, you know that isn't true, either," Luka called out from the closet as she slipped into the costume. "You know I like you, too… It isn't fair for you to say something like that."

"Eh." Lily got off of the bed, and strode towards the closet. "You ready yet?" She completely ignored Luka's statement. When she stepped into the closet, her dark blue eyes widened and a hand flew up to cover her nose.

Before her stood Megurine Luka, dressed in a black and white maid outfit. The hem of the dress was a little shorter than normal, obviously created for some fan service. On top of her head sat pink cat ears that matched her hair, and a pink tail was at the back of the costume. Nekomimi. Maid outfit…  
>Nekomimi + Maid Outfit = …..?<p>

Luka looked at her friend, blushing a little from the stare that she received. "Wh-what?"

"SORRY!" Lily sprinted out of the closet as soon as she felt blood gush from her nose. The blonde left the bedroom in a mad search for an efficient handkerchief.

The pink haired girl sighed, and shook her head. She followed her friend out of the bedroom, and headed towards the living room. As she grew closer to the interview area, she heard a yelp of pain, followed by a smartass comment from a certain greenette. Immediately, Luka took control of the situation, and before she knew it, she was sitting in the seat for her interview.

"So, Luka-san," Ritsu began as she flipped through the notecards to find Luka's questions. "Most of the questions we received for you were pretty similar. So you really only have a couple of questions that I can ask you today." She glanced at the composed girl before her. "I'm sorry we couldn't get more than that."

"Oh! No, that's quite alright," Luka smiled. "Please, go ahead and ask me a question. I'm sure our viewers would like to start the interview right away."

Ritsu nodded and began to read from the first notecard. "'We noticed that you have been seen around town with Miku-san much more frequently than before. Is there something going on there?'" She looked up from the card, and was surprised to see that Luka's face had instantly become pink.

"Oh—That.. Miku-chan and I…" Luka stammered as she tried to organize her words into a proper sentence. "We have gone on a few dates…"

"_Sugoi!"_ The interviewer exclaimed. "Can you tell us about these dates!"

Luka took a deep breath and tried to recompose herself. She nodded once before she began to speak again. "The first date we went on, we went to my favorite café. It was nothing fancy, and very casual. It was comfortable," she explained, with a small smile on her face. "We talked and had cake and…" the girl stopped. "The second date—"

"Wait, why did you stop talking?" Ritsu noticed the cut off sentence.

"The second date we went on," Luka pressed onwards, her cheeks darkening in color as she did so. "We went to a restaurant. It was quite a fancy place… I was surprised that Miku-chan was able to get a reservation so quickly, but then again, she is the most famous out of all of us." She let out a laugh. "The date was quite unexpected. We ended up leaving the restaurant for personal matters and decided to simply walk around the city and talk. It was nice… I really enjoyed it." She was surprised to realize just how much she enjoyed that second date. Although it had taken a rather unexpected turn, talking to Miku had meant a lot to her. She realized how much pain the younger girl had kept hidden from the world, and she was able to slowly scale the wall that Miku had built around her heart. That night was extremely important to her, and she only realized the importance of that night now. And now that she thought about it, she deeply regretted allowing Miku to simply say that they were no longer able to continue their short venting sessions.

"Whoa, that sounds awesome!" Ritsu exclaimed, with a cheesy grin on her face for she was oblivious of Luka's inner turmoil. "Does that mean you two are a couple?"

"No, no," Luka answered with a shake of her head. "We're not. It's.. Complicated."

"Because of Masuda Lily-san, right?"

"Huh—How did you-?"

"That's actually your next question! People saw you at the fall festival in the city with Masuda-san!" Ritsu gave Luka a thumbs up. "How did that go? Was it a date or were the two of you just hanging out?"

Luka felt her cheeks warm up once more. "It—It was a date," she answered hesitantly, her voice now squeaking. "But—"

"AHA!" Tainaka leapt to her feet and pointed a finger at the camera. "Did you hear that, Japan? I think there's a love triangle going on! A love triangle between Miku-san, Lily-san and Luka-san!" She then pointed her finger down at the startled Luka, who cowered at the sudden shift in mood. "How does that make you feel?"

"I—I thought you wanted to hear about the date?" the pink haired Vocaloid stammered out, desperate to avoid talking about the love triangle itself.

The interview put her hand down and sank back into her seat. "Oh, yeah, go ahead and tell us about that."

Luka let out a small sigh of relief and tried to recompose herself. "Well, we went to the fall festival. And we really just walked around and looked at all of the little stands that were there," she began to summarize their date. "Mm, we went goldfish scooping, too! Lily-chan's really good at it, so she taught me how to catch a goldfish after she caught Koujiiro-kun," she added, with a laugh.

"'Koujiiro-kun'?"

"Ah—Yes! That's the name of Lily-chan's goldfish," Luka explained, her smile apologetic. "After she caught Koujiiro-kun, she taught me how to catch Yuki-chan—My goldfish," she corrected herself. "And that's really all that happened… When I returned to my room, that was when Miku-chan had asked me out on our second date."

"_Sou desu ka?_" Tainaka nodded her head several times. "How did Miku-chan ask you out?"

Luka's smile became a shy one as she looked away with flushed cheeks. She twiddled her pointer fingers as she explained what had happened. "I came up to my room and saw a note taped to my door. Of course, I was very confused, but I went inside anyway. On the bed was a bouquet of roses and a note from Miku-chan," she breathed. It was clear that the girl was a romanticist at heart, and had found the whole act to be very romantic. "And that was that."

The interviewer nodded. She tossed the pink highlighted notecards over her shoulder and grinned. "So, Luka-san, if you had to pick between the two of your, ah, suitors…" She wiggled her brows. "Who would it be?"

"Ah—Ano, that's—Mmm…" Luka gulped and shook her head quickly. "I can't say. At this moment I'm not sure who to pick," she laughed nervously, as she gave the interviewer an extremely nervous smile. "I'm sorry."

Tainaka Ritsu shook her head, and waved her hand dismissively. "_Daijoubu!_ It's okay, Luka-san! Sorry to put you on the spot like that," she apologized. With a quick glance at her watch, she nodded her head. "It seems we're out of time. Thank you for talking to us, Luka-san," she smiled.

The pinkette continued to give off her nervous smile as she stood up. "You're very welcome. Thank you for having me." She bowed and stepped away from the set.

* * *

><p><strong>Lily<strong>

Before she stepped over to take a seat for her interview, the tall blonde checked to see if her nose was still bleeding. Nope. No more bloody nose. With a sigh of relief, she tossed aside the bloodied handkerchief and strode across the room. Her deep blue eyes met Ritsu's tawny ones and she took a seat in the waiting armchair. "Alright! I'm ready for this interview!" Lily exclaimed, as she gave the camera a grin.

Ritsu was prepared this time, the proper index cards resting on her lap. Rather than kick off the interview with another random viewer question, she thought it would be best to keep the dynamics up by continuing her previous conversation that she had had with Luka. "So, Lily-san, is it okay if I call you that? Yeah? Yeah, cool," she continued. "How was your date with Luka-san?"

Lily shrugged, and leaned back into the armchair, arms behind her head. "It was fun, I think," she answered. "I had a lot of fun. And I got a goldfish outta it, so it wasn't like it was a waste of time," she joked.

Ritsu laughed, and nodded in agreement. "Because the goldfish is definitely more important than going on a date with the famous Megurine Luka-san."

"Right," Lily grinned. She shook her head and let out a soft chuckle. "Seriously, though, it was really fun. I got to see Luka-chan over there fail at catching a goldfish the first time around," she snickered. "She flung the fish in the air and didn't keep it on the scooper, so it ended up landing back in the water. The poor guy swam away from her. He probably thought she was psychotic!"

"Nice," the interviewer grinned. "So, you and Luka-san seem pretty close. Wanna tell us more about that?" She had reverted back to the flashcards, un-sure of how she could possibly relate goldfish scooping to dating. "Did you two only become close recently or…?"

The blonde shook her head no. She removed her arms down from her head and set them on the armrests. "Nope. We've been best friends since we were little," she answered. "The two of us basically grew up together. Hell, I can't even remember what grade we were in when we first met, but we went through our entire school life with each other." Lily grinned. "Went to the same elementary school, the same junior high, the same high school… And by some miracle, I got into the same university as her!"

At this, Tainaka laughed. "I know exactly what you mean! I got into the same university as my childhood friend, too, even though she's infinitely smarter than I am!"

"POUND IT!"

Both Lily and Ritsu bumped fists and burst out into laughter.

From off of the set, Luka stood beside Gumi, her head resting against the wall. The younger girl simply patted her on the back. "It's okay. I understand your pain," she sighed. "That's how I feel when I'm around Miku."

"Oi." Ritsu stopped laughing, and sat up straight. She stared at Lily, who stared back at her in confusion. "If you've known Luka-san for so long, you must have a lot of stories about Luka-san."

Lily grinned.  
>Luka's eyes widened and she whipped her head around to stare at the blonde in horror.<br>Gumi looked at Luka, then Lily, then back at Luka. "You're fucked."

"'Course I have stories about Luka-chan~" The blonde sang. She clapped her hands together and rubbed them deviously. "Where do I even start? Lessee…. We had to do a group project on the respiratory system in biology one day. Poor girl thought she had to memorize everything that was on our notecards. So in the middle of her part she stopped talking because she forgot what she was saying."

"And?" The interviewer leaned forward in her seat, amber eyes wide with curiousity.

"And she started crying."

"No way!"

"Yes way!"

Gumi looked at Luka, a look of disbelief on her face as a drop of sweat rolled down the side of her head. "Luka-nee, please tell me that that didn't-…. Wow."

The normally composed pinkette had her head back against the wall, and she was surrounded by a thick black aura of doom and gloom. "Mou… Gumi-chan… Let's let the past be in the past, okay?"

Lily drummed her fingers against the armrest as she tried to think of other stories worth sharing. "Oh. We had sleepovers all of the time. But most of the time, at least until we were 14, we had them at Luka-chan's place," she began, with a shrug. "Only because she couldn't sleep without this kitty nightlight that she had."

"LILY-CHAN!" Luka shouted, clearly mortified that all of this information was being shared with Japan.

The blonde waved her hand at Luka. "Oi, Luka-chan! Tell them about the _neko_ nightlight!"

At this, all of the cameras swung to point their shiny lenses at the pinkette. In an instant, Luka's face became dark red, and she opened and closed her mouth several times. "Ah—I—That is—The nightlight—I'M SO SORRY!" She apologized as hid behind Gumi, eyes squeezed shut.

Gumi facepalmed. Normally, she would turn around and slap someone in the face for using her as a shield, but Luka was pretty embarrassed. And she could sympathize with the feeling of having to put up with a loud mouthed idiot.

* * *

><p><strong>Gumi<strong>

A minute before Lily's interview ended, Hatsune Miku skipped into the living room, finally dressed in her witch's costume. The corset that she wore was black in color with teal lacings. Her black skirt was short, but not _too short_. This skirt coupled with boots that went up a little past her knees. _Zettai ryouiki_? Definitely. Did she care? Not really. The outfit was completed by the witch's hat that sat on the top of her twin-tailed head. She stopped beside Gumi and the cowering Luka. She blinked a few times and stared at the two. "Eh? Gumi-chan? Luka-senpai?" She looked at them curiously. "Did something happen-?"

"Oh, Miku. Here, take Luka-nee. It's my turn for the interview," Gumi said briskly, as she shoved the pinkette towards Miku. She turned her back to the pair and headed over to the interview area. As soon as the tall, slender blonde stood up from the armchair, the goggled girl plopped down into the armchair, arms folded across her chest. It took every ounce of self-control that she could muster to keep herself from throwing a punch at Lily's face for laying hands on Miku at the recording studio. Gumi took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. She exhaled and then opened them. "Okay. Tainaka-san, I'm ready to start this interview.

Ritsu blinked, and looked at her index cards. "Uh—Right, Gumi-san," she nodded quickly. "But, ah, it's time for a commercial break! We'll be right back after a word from our sponsors!"

Gumi twitched. "_What?"_

The cameras were shut off and the crew went off to take their potty breaks or to grab a quick drink. As soon as the lights were turned off, Ritsu whipped her phone out and began to send texts to her friends. Gumi stayed seated in her seat as well, and closed her eyes. She covered her closed eyes with one hand, and let out a frustrated sigh. Of course there would be a commercial break when it was her turn to get this _damned_ thing over with. Of course.  
>While she sat in the seat in silent angst, she wondered what deity she had pissed off to deserve going through this prolonged hell. She sat in the seat, completely unaware of what she had started by shoving two unwilling beings together…<p>

From off of the set, Luka and Miku were left alone by the others. The two looked at one another awkwardly after being shoved together by Gumi. Since Miku had first told Luka that they needed to stop talking seemed like _ages _ago; but in reality, the incident had only occurred two days ago. But the tension between the two of them was palpable. One wanted to reach out and seek the truth, while the other was insistent on keeping things a secret.  
>Luka sighed and shook her head. "Miku-chan, <em>ano,<em> about what you said yesterday," she began slowly, refusing to take her light blue eyes off of the teal haired girl beside her.

Miku stiffened a little bit, but merely smiled back up at the older girl. "Ne, ne, Luka-senpai," she shook her head as well. "I don't know what you're talking about." She feigned ignorance and looked away, choosing to observe her stressed out green haired friend.

"Miku-chan," Luka put a hand on Miku's shoulder, and frowned a little. "Please talk to me. I don't understand why you said what you did yesterday, or what exactly is going on… So help me understand." The look in her eyes was pleading, and she was hoping Miku would look at her and realize that she only wanted to help the younger girl.

"Nn… Luka-senpai, now isn't such a good time to talk about this," Miku replied as she struggled to keep the smile on her face. She looked up at Luka and flinched when she saw how desperately Luka wanted to help her. "Ah-…. Do… Do we _really _have to talk about this?" She mumbled, the corners of her mouth turning down into a frown. "I mean… I have an interview—"

"Gumi-chan gets interviewed first, and then it's your interview."

"… R-right."

The pinkette was quiet for a moment. Her mind was racing as she tried to think of things that may have possibly upset the younger girl.; but the only thing that popped into her mind was the situation between Gumi and Miki. Aside from that, Luka had no idea what may have caused Miku to begin acting distant towards her. "_Eto,_ Miku-chan, did something happen between Gumi-chan and Miki-chan?"

"Eh?" Teal eyes widened at the question, and gave back a confused stare. "No. I don't—I don't think so. Unless you know something I don't?"

"Ah, no," Luka shook her head. "I thought that perhaps that something had happened with Gumi-chan that had made you upset."

Miku bit down on her bottom lip. Well, what had made her upset was the incident with Lily… And Gumi had been present for that… "Well, Gumi-chan was there when something happened," she began slowly. "But—Ah, nevermind." She shook her head again.

She was getting close, Luka was getting closer to the truth. She just needed to push the conversation a little more and maybe Miku would tell her what in the world was going on. "No, no, tell me," Luka insisted. Her hand moved down from Miku's shoulder and slipped into Miku's hand. Fingers laced together. "Please? I only want to help you. I'm worried about you, you know."

"Ah…" Miku glanced down at their hands. A small, unfamiliar smile appeared on the girl's face; and Luka realized that for once, Miku was not trying to hide her feelings with a poker face of a smile. "Thank you, Luka-senpai." Her teal eyes looked back at her green haired best friend, who still wore an expression of frustration. "Gumi-chan would be angry with me if she knew that I told you that you and I should put some distance between one another."

"Gumi-chan doesn't know?" Luka was thoroughly surprised.

"Nope. She'd probably punch me if I told her," Miku laughed, and scratched at her cheek with a somewhat cheeky grin on her face. It was an expression that Luka hadn't seen in quite some time, but she decided she was glad to see that Miku was comfortable enough to express herself around her. "No one knows that I said that to you… But I kind of wish that I didn't say it. I really wanted to tell you what happened. But..." She shrugged her shoulders.

Luka gave Miku's hand an affectionate squeeze. "Then don't stay away from me," she replied. "If you want to tell me what happened to make you say those things, then tell me. I promised that I would listen to you, didn't I?" A smile was on her face as she looked down at the younger girl. "I keep my promises."

Miku smiled, but kept her gaze focused elsewhere. "Thank you. About what happened yesterday…" There was a pause as she tried to find a way to sum up what had occurred between her and Lily. "Lily-nee and I had a disagreement. That's all." She was also trying to avoid mentioning that Lily was now playing dirty. The plan to use her weakness, as well as Gumi and Miki's weaknesses, against them was foul play and Miku knew that. But she did not want Luka to be aware of what was going on when her back was turned. If Luka were to become aware of Lily and Meiko's plans, pandemonium was sure to ensue.

"'A disagreement'?" Luka repeated in confusion.

"Yeah. Ah, let's see… We didn't see eye-to-eye on something and she became angry with me," the teal haired girl continued. "But luckily Gumi-chan and Gakupo-nii were there or things would have been bad." She shrugged her shoulders and slipped her hand out of Luka's.

It took a moment for Luka to comprehend what Mkiu was trying to hint at. "Wait—Lily-chan was—"

"ALRIGHT, EVERYONE READY? We're on air in 3… 2… 1…!" The director pointed at Ritsu and Gumi as the lights flashed back on.

Luka frowned a little bit when she realized that this conversation would have to wait. She sighed and focused her attention onto Ritsu and Gumi.

"Awwwwriiiiight!" Ritsu pumped a fist into the air. "We're back for more interviews with the famous Vocaloids!" She grinned at the camera and then looked at Gumi. "So, Gumi-chan, I like your costume."

"Thanks." Gumi put a smile onto her face, but failed to hide his displeasure at being interviewed. "Tainaka-san—"

"Ritsu."

"Ritsu-san, can we please get this interview over with," the green haired girl sighed.

The interviewer laughed. "Did you hear that everyone? Gumi-chan's so straightforward, and she doesn't even care! But, yeah, sure. First question is from a fan." She read over the index card quickly. "What is your favorite color?"

Gumi wanted to slam her head against a wall. "Orange and green are my favorites… I do believe that this has been covered in one of those specials in a magazine," she said flatly. "It should even be on that fan site that my manager is running."

"Right, right, Gumi-san. But I'm just asking you the questions that we've received," Ritsu shrugged, and flipped to the next card. "What is your favorite food?"

"Carrots…" If all of the questions were like this, Gumi was in for an unbearable interview.

"Describe your best date that you've had so far."

Gumi facefaultered. "Excuse me?" She frowned slightly.

Ritsu waved the card in the air and shrugged her shoulders. "That was one of the questions. 'Can you describe the best date that you've been on, Gumi-sama?'." She repeated.

The green haired girl kept her arms firmly locked across her chest. She looked away from the interviewer and stared at the ceiling. Her cheeks became a faint pink as she thought about her answer. "Er… Well, I don't really have a best date ever," she said, looking almost embarrassed. "I liked all of the ones I've been on."

"Oh, _sou desu ka. _I see, I see," the tawny haired girl nodded. "Well, since you don't have a favorite, wanna describe the last date you were on?"

At this, Gumi's face promptly burst into a bright shade of pink. "My last date? Uh…. It was…. Nice."

Ritsu pouted. "Aw, come on! That's not a description—"

"We went to a café, ate some sweets. I kind of left half-way through, though, when they started—Well, anyway. I ended up going to a park by myself because I got upset while we were at the café," Gumi explained, carefully avoiding the use of Miki's name. "But things ended pretty well. I think we got closer. Maybe." She looked at Ritsu and frowned. "Maybe."

"Sweet! And who'd you go on a date with?"

"None of your business."

"Right! So was it Miku-san?"

"No."

"Luka-san?"

"What? No, you buffoon."

"So maybe it was Miku-san?"

"No means no."

"Whatever happened between you and Miku-san, anyway?" The interviewer pressed onwards. "Didn't the two of you date? Why'd you guys break up?"

"That doesn't concern you," Gumi answered, her tone suddenly icy. This interview had taken a turn for the worst. If Tainaka Ritsu wasn't careful, she could very well find herself in a hospital room.

"Eh? Well… Okay, so you guys broke up."

"Yes, yes we did."

"Would date Miku-san again if you had the chance?"

Gumi shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. I… There is someone else," she answered passively.

"Who?"

"None of your business."

"Is it a boy?"

"Maybe."

"A girl?"

"… Maybe."

"It's a girl! Do we know who she is?"

Another short pause. "Possibly."

"Can you tell us?"

"No."

"Aw, okay." A shrug came from the oblivious interviewer. "What about your parents? There were rumors going around that your parents didn't approve of you and Miku. Is it because you two are both girls? How would your parents react if you dated another girl?"

From the side, Miku stiffened. Her hands clenched into fists. That was a topic that none in the house dared to bring up around Gumi. It was an incredibly sensitive subject, and had become taboo. Not even Gakupo dared to ask Gumi how her parents were doing. The only person who knew anything about Gumi's relationship with her parents was Miku. Even then, Gumi refused to talk to Miku about her parents. "Oh, no," she whispered, as she watched the costumed aviator tense in the leather arm chair. She left Luka's side and began to make her way towards the set.

"You shouldn't ask people about the intimate details of their personal life," Gumi snapped, as she stood up from her seat. "This interview is over." She left the interview area and strode past Miku in cold silence.

Miku reached out to grab Gumi's hand. "Gumi-chan, it was just an interview. Just take a deep breath—"

"Shut up and go get your interview over with," Gumi glared at her as she pulled her hand out of reach. She went and stood beside Luka.

The pinkette looked down at Gumi, an expression of extreme worry plastered onto her face. But she kept her mouth shut, knowing that Gumi would be provoked by any words of comfort…

* * *

><p><strong>Miku<strong>

The worried tealeatte sank into the armchair. She looked at the interviewer who sat across from her and wanted to scream at the other girl. She wanted to tell the other girl that questions like that should never be brought up; but she knew that she couldn't do that. Not only would it be extremely rude, but it wasn't Ritsu's fault. The interviewer had no idea how heavy the subject that she brought up was. With a shake of her head, Miku offered the other girl her poker face of a smile. "Hello, Ritsu-san. May we please begin the interview?"

Ritsu nodded her head and flipped through the index cards in order to find the proper set for Miku. "Right-o! First question! How are-…." She paused, looked the card over once more, and then looked back at the patiently waiting tealeatte. "How are things between you and Gumi-san?"

"Ah! _Daijoubu!_ We're both okay," Miku laughed in an attempt to break the tension. "She and I are still best friends after everything that has happened, and I'm very thankful to have her as a friend." A smile, though it was her poker face of a smile, was on her face as she continued to speak. "Gumi-chan is easily one of the best people that I have ever met. Even though I know I make her angry, she still keeps me around as a friend."

"I know that feeling! Sometimes my best friend hits me when I say stupid things," Tainaka laughed and nodded in agreement with Miku.

"You too? Gumi-chan does the same to me!" Miku continued to giggle. "One time she threw me out of her room when I had fallen asleep studying with her! It was like I was flying through the air—Until I hit the wall, of course."

As irritated as she was, Gumi managed to roll her eyes at the laughing duo. Somehow she had a feeling that those two would get along well. Damn those idiots.

Luka looked down at Gumi. "Did… Did you really throw Miku-chan out of your room? Like… _Throw_ her?" She asked in disbelief.

Gumi nodded.

Luka felt a bead of sweat roll down the side of her head. "_Note to self… Never annoy Gumi-chan,"_ she made a mental note of this.

"But, anyway, Miku-san," Ritsu cleared her throat. "Are you interested in dating Gumi-san again? Or is that all in the past?"

Miku blinked a few times, and brought a teal polished finger to her cheek. She tapped her cheek as she pondered over the question. "Ne? Mm, I wouldn't say that I'm interested in dating her again," she replied. "I admit, she is attractive. Very attractive, but I don't think I would date her again right now. Besides, I know that the person that Gumi-chan might be interested in likes her very much." She smiled at this. "Gumi-chan is very lucky, I think."

The interviewer whistled. "Well, that's good for her!" she nodded. "So, Miku-san, we've heard about Luka-san's dates with you. Wanna talk about Luka-san? What do you like about her? I mean, you dated Gumi-san, but when you think about it, Luka-san and Gumi-san are pretty different."

"Ah, that's true," Miku nodded. "They do seem pretty different. But they have some similar qualities to them. Both of them worry about other people a lot. Gumi-chan just doesn't show it, is all," she laughed. "So it makes Gumi-chan look cold hearted, but she really isn't… Sometimes. And they both don't like the feeling of having other people worry about them." A nod of the head. "But, ah, Luka-senpai?" She paused and tapped her finger against her cheek once more. "She's kind and patient. She knows what to say to put a person at ease, and she's very genuine with her words. Luka-senpai likes to look for the best in people and that's something I really admire. Besides that, she's just very comforting to be with," Miku continued. "She's just one of those people that you can't really stay away from. At least, that's how I see it."

"Really?"

"Really. And, she has an amazing figure!" Miku giggled.

Gumi facepalmed. Of course that idiot would say something like that on camera.  
>Luka, on the other hand, blushed furiously.<p>

"But before you ask, yes, I know that Lily-nee likes Luka-senpai, too," the tealette added. "I think things will work themselves out for the best, though. I'd like it if Luka-senpai and I were a couple, but, ah, if things don't work out that way…" She shrugged. "I guess things would be fine. I mean.. Lily-nee isn't a bad person—Oof!"

The teal idol was interrupted by two yellow human bullets that had tackled her from either side of the arm chair. The twins grinned and hugged their senpai.

"Miku-nee! This is a boring interview!" Kagamine Rin exclaimed, as she made herself comfortable on one armrest. She wrapped one arm around Miku's neck, and pointed at a camera. "You gotta make it exciting for the viewers!"

Len nodded in agreement, and sat on the other armrest. He un-wrapped his arms from around Miku, and rested an elbow on her shoulder. "Yeah, Miku-nee, it is kinda boring," he agreed with his sister. "Time for some excitement!"

Miku looked at the twins, and giggled. "Does that mean you two want to do your interview?"

"Duh!" The twins chorused in unison.

* * *

><p><strong>Rin and Len<strong>

The twins rested against Miku as they grinned stupidly at the camera. The teal haired girl simply smiled and allowed the twins to rest against her. It was no different from when the three of them used to take photo-shoots together when the twins first became Vocaloids.

The twins were dressed in matching costumes; twin vampires, if you will. Len wore a black, fitted tuxedo. The tails of the tuxedo were black, but the inside was red. Attached to the back of his jacket, by his shoulder blades, were black bat-like wings. The shirt he wore beneath his tuxedo jacket was white, and the tie was orange in the spirit of Halloween. Likewise, his sister wore a black pleated skirt with white trimmings and a white belt. The buckle of the belt was orange, as were her stockings that went mid-way up her thigh. Rin's tuxedo jacket was cropped, and the white shirt that she wore beneath it was cropped as well, exposing her stomach. The bow-tie that completed the outfit was also orange. Her bat-like wings were slightly smaller than her brothers, but she didn't seem to mind that.

Ritsu blinked a few times. She shifted through her index cards once more, and found the set labeled for the twins. But she had a feeling that it'd be more fun to wing this interview than to follow the supplied questions. "So, Rin-san, Len-san. Do you guys like living in this mansion with everyone?"

Rin put her thumb up and continued to grin. "Yup! It's a ton of fun!" she gushed. "I get to play pranks on everyone and run around and just have fun. I can stay up as late as I want and do whatever I want, whenever I want."

Len looked at his sister and then shrugged. "Yeah, like Onee-chan said, it's a lot of fun," he agreed. "We can just joke around and have fun, but, uh…" He frowned a little bit. "It can be scary sometimes."

"Scary?" Ritsu asked.

"Yeah… Like when some of our Nii-sans and Nee-sans get angry. Especially Meiko-nee and Gumi-nee," Len added, with a shiver. "They're insane! They always throw stuff at us or something." A scowl was on his face as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Nah! They're not that bad!" Rin exclaimed. "I don't usually get hurt."

"I do," Len retorted. "You use me as a human sacrifice!"

Rin blinked a few times. She nodded, and went back to grinning. "Yup, I do. And it's a lot of fun, too. Like the time that Gumi-ne threw a bar of soap at your head at supersonic speed—"

"That wasn't fun for me at all!" Her twin groaned. "Besides, didn't she roundhouse kick you into the bathtub?"

"Oh yeah…"

The twins looked at one another and collectively winced.

"Anyway," Ritsu coughed into her fist. "Wanna tell us how you feel about the love triangle that's going on?" When she received blank stares from the twin, she sighed. "You know… With Luka-san, Lily-san, and Miku-san?"

Once more, the twins met each other's gazes. It seemed that the pair were communicating through telepathy, for they both nodded and looked at Ritsu at the same time. "We don't really care anymore," they answered in unison. The elder twin threw her arms up over her head, and stretched her torso. "I mean.. Ya know, Luka-nee can date whoever she wants. Before I really wanted her to date Miku-nee, but, eh," she shrugged. "I think at this point I just want Luka-nee to hurry up and pick one of them. It's been almost two months, ya know!"

Len nodded as well. "I think Luka-nee would be happy with either of them," he added. "I mean… Lily-nee is her best friend so they already get along really well. But Miku-nee could probably help her open up more instead of being really shy and stuff." A thoughtful look came onto his face, and he looked at Miku. "Right?"

"Eh?" Miku blinked a few times. "This is your interview, Len-kun, not mine!" She smiled a little bit, and shook her head.

Ritsu looked at the trio seated on the armchair. "So… Twins… What if Miku-san dated Gumi-san again?"

The twins blinked.  
>"I guess that would be okay," Len began. "Miku-nee can date whoever she wants—"<p>

"THAT'D BE GREAT!" Rin interrupted, with a wide grin on her face. "If Gumi-nee dated Miku-nee, then that means that Miki-nee can't date Gumi-nee!"

Off to the side, Gumi twitched. After all of the effort she had taken to avoid mentioning Miki's name… This blonde girl was going to get a good slap to the face.

"Miki-san is the girl that Gumi-san is interested in?" Ritsu exclaimed, with a gasp. "NO WAY!"

"YEAH!" Rin frowned. "AND I HATE IT!"

Len facepalmed, and Miku looked up at Rin with a smile on her face. She couldn't wait to hear the blonde girl explain herself.

"If Miki-nee dates Gumi-nee, then that means they'll have sleepovers with each other all of the time! Then Miki-nee can't spend time with me or Len-kun! And Miki-nee's supposed to be our Onee-chan! She's supposed to take care of us," the young blonde girl whined. "So Gumi-nee can't have her!"

The interviewer laughed at such a ludicrous response. "Well, gee, guess Gumi-san's got to compete for Miki-san's affection, huh?"

"THERE IS NO COMPETITION!" Rin roared."GUMI-NEE IS NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE MIKI-NEE! EVER!"

"_Ano,_ Rin-chan… I think you should calm down," Miku giggled. She pointed off to the side and smiled. "Miki-chan just arrived, and she looks pretty embarrassed…"

* * *

><p><strong>Miki<strong>

When the cameras swung around to point at the petite redhead, Miki felt her cheeks grow warm. Listening to Rin rant about her and Gumi had been embarrassing enough, but now the fact that several cameras were suddenly pointed to her while she wore this costume… True, she had asked Gumi to try the costume on back at the store, but she had no idea that her manager would pick out the very same costume for her to wear for the interview.

The fitted white dress was quite short, and her white stockings went up to her mid-thigh. She was hyper aware of how much skin was showing. The sleeves hung off from the shoulders, and were loose and flowing. Her wings were attached to the back of the dress, and a halo hung from above her head via an extremely thin wire.

Everyone in the vicinity stared at her, awestruck by just how innocent Miki looked while wearing such a revealing outfit. Gumi, especially, had been affected by the sight. The green haired girl had to turn away and cover her nose with her hands to stop the stream of blood that had gushed from her nose.

"Ah—ah—H-hello," Miki stammered, as she tugged down at the bottom of her dress in an act of self-consciousness. She slowly made her way over to the group in the interview area, and took a seat in an available armchair that had been pushed up there. She shifted uncomfortably in the seat, trying to find a way to be seated comfortably without exposing too much of her leg skin. "D-does this mean it's my turn to be interviewed?" She asked timidly, as her ruby eyes darted frantically between Ritsu's amber eyes and the video cameras.

Ritsu looked off stage at the director, who simply shrugged and nodded for her to carry on. "Uh—Yeah! Sure, Miki-san! It's your turn!"

Miku grabbed onto the twin's hands and stood up. "Come on, let's let Miki-chan have her interview~" she sang, as she tugged the twins away from the view of the cameras. Although the twins may have been struggling in her grip (or maybe it was only Rin that was protesting), Miku kept a firm grip on their wrists until they were safely out of the camera's watchful gaze. She released them, and took her place between Gumi and Luka. The twins scampered off to the snack table to sulk while eating sweets.

Everyone's focus went back onto the uncomfortable Miki, who was nervously trying to untangle her ahoge from her halo. "Nn…" Her face became a darker shade of red once she realized that everyone was watching her. The ahoge sprung free from the halo, and she quickly set her hands down, and clutched the end of her dress.

Ritsu was having a hard time resisting picking on the poor girl. "Wow, _moe, moe, kyuuuun!_" She sang, with a chuckle.

Miki gulped, and simply gave Ritsu a nerve-wracked smile. "_Ano…_ R-Ritsu-san, the interview…?"

"Oh, right," Ritsu laughed and picked up the first card. "How do you feel about the Kagamines adopting you as their older sister figure?"

Miki relaxed a bit. At least her first question was something she could easily talk about. "I don't mind being their Onee-san while we live together. It's kind of flattering, really," she admitted. "I try and keep them from doing anything too crazy, but I guess I'm not doing a very good job at that." An easy smile was on her face now that she felt more comfortable with the situation. "But I do enjoy having them sleepover in my room even when it isn't a hall sleepover night. It's fun."

"Ah, gotcha, gotcha," Ritsu nodded. "So… What do you think about what the twins said? About you dating Gumi-san?"

The blush jumped back onto Miki's cheeks. "Ah—M-me and G-Gumi-nee?" she stammered. "D-d-d-dating? That's—Well, I mean—I'd like that—But—I don't—Maybe—Ah?" She covered her face with her hands, and pressed herself as far back into her seat as humanly possible. There was a long pause as she tried to recompose herself. After taking a deep breath, one ruby eye peeked out from behind her fingers. "I'd like it if we dated…" she whispered. "I do like Gumi-nee a lot…"

Instantly, Miku and Luka looked at Gumi to see how the green haired girl would respond. They both smiled when they noticed that Gumi was blushing and staring at the floor.

Ritsu blinked a few times. "That's.. Great, but that wasn't the question…." She held back a laugh. "But, ah, okay then."

Miki nodded, and bit her bottom lip. She kept her face hidden behind her hands.

"So… If you like Gumi-san, does that mean you're over Iroha-san?" Ritsu asked, as she looked over her notecards. Yes, there was a question about Miki's former crush.

"Huh?" Miki continued to peek between her fingers at the interviewer. "I-Iroha-senpai?" She repeated, a little surprised that the cat-like singer would be mentioned. "I-…. N-no," she mumbled. "I'm not over her completely…"

Miku felt her heart sink. This was unexpected. Extremely so. She had thought that the redhead had moved on. This could be trouble. She glanced at Gumi to see how her friend would take this new information.  
>Gumi had tensed and her emerald eyes had gone from gazing at the floor to staring at Miki. It seemed like the green haired girl was not enjoying the fact that there may be a rival for Miki's affection.<p>

"Seriously?" Ritsu fake gasped. "That's… Surprising. Sort of. Not really. You seem like the type that would take a while to get over someone, eh?" She shrugged and flipped to the next card. "So if you had to pick between Gumi-san and Iroha-san, who would it be?"

Miku's mind began to race, and she was mentally screaming at Miki not to answer the question. If Miki said 'Iroha', she knew that Gumi would instantly decide that Miki may have been messing around with her emotions. The last thing she wanted was to see Gumi get hurt, and she definitely did not want to see Gumi build more walls up.

The ahoge'd angel slowly put her hands down, and took a deep breath. Her ruby eyes were gazing down at her lap as she seriously considered her answer to the question. "I… Do I have to answer this?" She asked, as she timidly looked back at Ritsu.

"It'd be great if you did, but I _guess_ you don't have to answer," Ritsu replied passively. "I mean, you don't wanna disappoint the fans, right?" She gave Miki a devilish grin, knowing that the innocent girl would fall for the guilt trip.

"Ah.. R-right," Miki agreed. "I guess… If I had to pick…"

Gumi's hands clenched into fists.  
>Miku held her breath, and continued to silently scream at the younger Vocaloid. "<em>Don't answer, Miki-chan! Don't answer! And if you do answer, please say Gumi-chan… Please, please, please…"<em> she thought to herself in a desperate frenzy.

"I guess I'd pick—"

"Nya~ Me, right?" Nekomura Iroha suddenly sauntered onto the filming set, and promptly sat down on Miki's lap. She gave the camera a cat-like smile, winked, and looked back at Miki. "Hiya, Miki-chan!"

Miki's face went back to being bright red. Her mouth opened and closed incoherently and she stared at the girl on her lap. "What are you—Why—I—How did you even get here—Or, better yet, why are you here-?"

Iroha pressed a finger against the stuttering girl's lips, successfully silencing the blushing Miki. "Nya, nya, Miki-chan!" She continued to give Miki a Cheshire cat grin. "It doesn't really matter how I got here, or _why_ I'm here," she said airily, with a mew. "But if you really want to know, I was invited here!"

"By _who?_" Gumi hissed under her breath as she glared at Iroha from across the room.

Miku looked at Gumi, clearly worried that things may go horribly wrong within a few seconds. "Easy, Gumi-chan. Iroha-san might be joking around—"

"_Damare!"_ Gumi snapped back at her friend, arms folded across her chest. She watched as Iroha rubbed her nose into Miki's cheek.

Miki jerked back, and pressed herself against the leather backing of the armchair. This was no interview. This must have been a set-up or something! "I-Iroha-senpai, could you please get off of my lap?" She asked, as she stared into the golden eyes of the cat-like girl.

Iroha laughed, and shook her head no. "How about you answer the question, first? Me or Gumi-san, ne?"

Ritsu blinked. "Yeah! The question! I wanna know your answer, too, Miki-san!" She exclaimed. "And I bet all of your fans are dying to know, too!"

Under the sudden pressure, Miki felt herself begin to cave. She _had_ to answer now that _everyone_ was expecting her to. It would be wrong for her to ignore them, right? "I—That is—I s-suppose I would—Maybe—Ah, but-," she stumbled over her words. "M-maybe… I'd pick—mm?"

Her words were interrupted by a sudden kiss from Iroha. Ruby eyes widened and then squeezed shut, and her cheeks jumped from pink to scarlet in an instant. A thousand thoughts raced through her mind, screaming at her to pull away from the kiss, or even deepen it. Miki was conflicted and had no idea what to do. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she knew she couldn't escape from the kiss. After all, Iroha had her trapped between the seat and the cat girl herself. There was no escaping the kiss.  
>And as conflicted as she was, Miki couldn't deny that she <em>liked<em> the kiss. It was different from the kisses she had with Gumi. Iroha was more demanding and more urgent with the kiss where Gumi was cautious and gentle. The redhead had no idea which kiss she preferred, and the thought terrified and enthralled her. Was this how Luka felt, knowing that both Miku and Lily were fighting for her affections? Did Luka feel the same rush that she was currently feeling?  
>Miki wasn't sure what the answers were to those questions. But she was sure of one thing. She really did enjoy this kiss. She was reluctant to return the kiss for her feelings for Gumi were strong. Thoughts of the cold, but caring, green haired girl continued to jump to the forefront of her mind; but her instincts and carnal desires somehow managed to shove Gumi to the back of her thoughts every time. It wasn't long before her conscious mind lost to her instincts, and her lips began to move despite her better judgement.<p>

When Iroha noticed that Miki was hesitantly returning the kiss, she smirked.  
>Mission accomplished.<p>

Ritsu and the other studio members whistled and watched, unable to figure out what the right course of action was.

Miku watched in absolute horror. This was wrong. Everything was going horribly wrong. With Iroha here, there was no way Miku could possibly unite Gumi and Miki; and the scene that took place before them was concrete proof. No, Miku was sure that Miki would regret this, but… Regretting the act did not mean that Gumi would be okay with all of this. The tealeatte was positive that Gumi would snap Iroha's neck, avoid Miki, or it could even be a combination of the two. And all of those were equally unpleasant. She turned her teal eyes to look at her best friend. "Gumi-chan?"

The aviator tore her emerald eyes away from the kissing couple on the armchair and glared into Miku's teal eyes. "What? That? That doesn't bother me at all," Gumi snorted, as she turned her back to Miku. "So what? I knew something like that would happen in the end. My parents left me, you left me, and now Miki left me. I knew I couldn't trust anyone." She stormed off heading towards the staircase.

"Gumi-chan! _Chotto matte!"_ Miku called out as she began to take off after her friend, but was halted by a tug on the arm. Her wrist was locked in a tight hold, and she whipped her head around to glare at the one who had dared to stop her from comforting her best friend. "Luka-senpai?" Her glare vanished and she gave the older girl a frantic look. "Let me go! I need to go after her!"

"No… Miku-chan," Luka shook her head sadly, and sighed. "You can't. She needs time to clearly think things through." She looked pained, as if she didn't want to say this. "I think… I don't think that that was supposed to happen. And you know Miki-chan. Miki-chan wouldn't—She wouldn't be so quick to abandon Gumi-chan."

"I know that, but _Gumi-chan_ doesn't know that!" Miku's voice jumped an octave as she spoke in frenzy. "I need to tell her—This is a mistake—It should have never happened!"

Luka gave Miku a sad, sympathetic smile. "I know, Miku-chan, I know. But if you go and try to talk to Gumi-chan now, do you think she would answer?"

"Yes-…. No…. No, Gumi-chan wouldn't…"

"Exactly… Maybe tomorrow you can talk to her…"

Miku looked at Luka, and then at Iroha and Miki. It would seem that during her brief exchange with Gumi, the kiss had been broken. "Maybe… I just hope it isn't too late by then—" She was interrupted by the laughter that came from Iroha.

"That was fun, ne, Miki-chan?" The pony-tailed girl exclaimed, as she stood up from Miki's lap.

Miki gulped and looked away from Iroha, refusing to answer the question. Her ruby eyes wandered, and she met the gaze of her teal haired friend. Those teal eyes told her everything. Miku was upset… And Gumi was upset.  
>The redhead felt her heart drop, and she quickly looked down at her lap.<p>

After a long, awkward silence, Ritsu cleared her throat. "Uh… Guess that's all the time we have left for this interview," she said quickly, as she forced a smile on her face. "Hope all of you out there enjoyed our segment with the Vocaloids! SEE YA!"

* * *

><p>The two walked away from the set after Ritsu's dismissal, and each wore vastly different expressions. The short haired brunette had a triumphant look on her face, and she walked with a spring in her step. Beside her, the long haired blonde was blank-faced.<p>

"That worked out perfectly, huh, Lily-san?" Meiko sang. "Did you see the way Gumi reacted? She just got up and left!" She began to laugh.

Lily glanced at the brunette, and her deep blue eyes narrowed slightly. "Yeah, I saw. Miku got pretty upset, too," she added. "But… I dunno.. This seems kinda wrong."

"It's too late for you to back out on it now," Meiko pointed out, with a shrug of her shoulders. Shoved her thumbs into the front pockets of her black shorts and began to whistle. "We called Iroha over, told her to do something crazy, and BAM. She comes up with that! I swear, that kid's a genius!"

"Right…" Lily tore her gaze away from the clearly elated girl that walked beside her. "You're right… It's too late to say 'sorry' after all of that. Oh well. I guess this means I can focus on trying to win Luka-chan now."

When she heard Lily fold and agree to what she had said, Meiko smirked. "Exactly. You're on your way to victory, kid."

* * *

><p><strong>Note: <strong>It's the end of the chapter. Oh man. That was long. 12,772 words at the moment, and I still have to reply to reviews! xD;; I hope this chapter wasn't too confusing to read through, but, ah, I think it's a pretty important chapter, none the less. And I hope it gave you some more insight into the characters relationships with one another, as well as a better look at their personalities as well!

_Reviewer replies:_

_PaperCutVictim:_ See! I told you someone would want to hurt Meiko after that chapter. I just… wasn't expecting it to be you LOL. And I agree. Len will have to go through therapy by the time we're both done with our stories! XD

_Jak656:_ Ah, no! I'm sorry for the confusion. OTL Miku doesn't keep her diary in the library, but she writes in it while she's there, since she's normally the only one who ever uses the room. But thank you for reading and reviewing! I appreciate that you always leave a review! :D

_LukaFan:_ Yeah, I felt like Meiko needed to try and seek revenge on Gumi at some point in time, and it turned out that now was a good time for her to seize that opportunity. xD; And no, I don't think I have heard any of his songs. What songs did he compose?

_Neko-Kath-01:_ I agree, they all need to chill out. XD But I mean… I wrote the story to be pretty dramatic. OTL I like the pairings that you've come up with, though! I'm sure there are plenty of people who would agree (or even disagree) with the couples you've chosen! Thanks for reading and reviewing!

_Chinesis' Fan:_ Oh boy… If Luka finds out…. XD;; Guess you'll just have to wait and see what happens! Thanks for reading and reviewing!

_Meislovely:_ Ah, poor Ao-chan! Such an uke! Kawaii! And, hey, guys, you can have all of Meiko's booze. We all know that she doesn't need it!  
>Thanks for reading and reviewing! :D Much appreciated!<p>

_AltairSV:_ Yup! You're right! Gakupo and Kaito have a bet on who ends up dating Luka in the end! :D Glad to see that you remembered that bit! But the twins are NEUTRAL at this point. They'll help out whoever as long as they get something in return. I'm really happy to hear that you enjoy the story so much! ;w; Thank you so much for your support!  
>(I can also relate to Miku's pokerface as well. I can be pretty guarded about how I feel as well.)<p>

ANYWAY! I'd really like to thank you all for your support! :D I really appreciate it, and it makes me feel great knowing that all of you read the story.  
>If there's any flaws in my writing that you'd like to point out, please, please, <em>please<em> leave a review and let me know what I can improve on. (:  
>I'm going to do my best to keep this story interesting for all of you. So please bear with me until we reach the end of Slice of Life together!<br>See you all in the next chapter!


	19. World's End Panda Hero

**Slice of Life**

**Chapter 19 – World's End Panda Hero**

Ah man! I hope everyone enjoyed the last chapter of SoL!  
>Really, there was a delay with this chapter… I needed more time to plan out the final chapters of SoL, and revise this chapter itself. Yes, we're nearing the end here! ): It makes me kind of sad… But since it's near the end, be prepared for long chapters.<p>

I realized that while writing this chapter, I only listened to classical music. Usually I listen to Vocaloid music when I write my chapters. xD; I don't particularly think any one piece fits a certain section of the chapter, but it's what helped me write. OTL Yes, I do enjoy classical music. Very much so. And the sound track to the anime Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica (Puella Magi Madoka Magica) has been on repeat as well. Don't ask me why. It just was, okay? XD; Although, the soundtrack did fit some of the tenser moments of this chapter…  
>But, if you're curious, I listened to the following classical pieces.<br>Beethoven – "Piano Sonata Moonlight"  
>Chopin – "Op.9 no.1, Nocturne in B-flat minor"<br>DeBussy – "Clair de Lune" and "Arabesque 1"

And I've also had "World's End Panda Hero" on repeat for a chunk of this chapter. I love it.

As always, I'd like to thank all of you for your support, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any Vocaloids, and I only own this story. Thank you.

* * *

><p>The only sound that echoed around the room was the noise of the widescreen plasma TV that was mounted up on wall. Displayed in high definition were two girls; one dressed as an angel, whose red face matched the color of her hair, and the other who was playful towards the blushing girl. Both were seated on the black leather armchair, with the playful girl resting on the redhead's lap.<p>

_The playful, ponytailed girl laughed as smiled at her blushing seat. "How about you answer the question, first? Me or Gumi-san, ne?" she asked, with a shake of her head._

Seated across from the two in an armchair of her own, the tawny haired, yellow headbanded girl chimed in. "Yeah! The question! I wanna know your answer, too, Miki-san!" She exclaimed. "And I bet all of your fans are dying to know, too!"

The redhead let out a squeal and shrank further back into her seat, away from the grinning girl on her lap, and away from the eagerly awaiting amber eyes of the show's host. It was clear that the angel was uncomfortable with the entire situation, and had absolutely no idea what to do. She merely began to stutter, tripping over her words as she failed to create a coherent sentence. "M-maybe... I'd pick-mm?"

Her words were cut short by the lips of the girl on her lap. Her red eyes widened and then quickly closed. It took a moment before she began to hesitantly kiss the other girl back.

The image on the television stopped when the camera had decided to zoom in on the lip-locked pair. A girl, wrapped up in her favorite cherry red blanket, had paused the recording of the segment. She dropped the remote, brought her knees to her chest, and wrapped her arms around her legs. With a sigh, Miki placed her head on her knees and stared at the stilled image that was frozen onto her TV's screen. To be honest, she had only recorded the Halloween special on the Vocaloids because she knew she would not be able to make it downstairs to listen to all of the interviews. Recording the special was her way of catching up with what she had missed.

Watching through the hour and a half special had been interesting, up until it had come to Gumi's segment. While watching the green haired girl's interview, she had felt her chest tighten and her stomach twist into knots. It was so painful to watch Gumi go through the interview and dodge questions about Miku and herself. And then the taboo topic of Gumi's parents had been brought up... Miki wanted nothing more than to turn the clock back so she could simply run up and give Gumi a hug when the green haired girl was asked about her parents. But Miki knew time travel was impossible. And she knew that the interview had pushed Gumi on edge. And she knew that her own interview had torn Gumi apart.

The redhead let out another sigh. This time she pressed her forehead against her kneecaps, shut her eyes, and bit down on her bottom lip. Had she known that Iroha was going to make a "surprise appearance", she would have been better prepared. Miki would have done her best to avoid the cat-like girl... Well, that was what she had been telling herself for the past week. The last seven days had been some of the most miserable days of the ahoge'd girls life. The kiss had been broadcasted nationwide, and the media and the rest of Japan had gone crazy. On her fansite, she received questions asking if she would really choose Iroha over Gumi, especially since the former had rejected her feelings half a year ago. The staggering amount of outraged comments that people posted on her site about kissing Iroha in front of Gumi did nothing to improve her mood. Of course Miki was ashamed and embarrassed by what had happened during her interview. She wasn't trying to hurt Gumi, and she certainly wasn't trying to allow herself to get carried away with the kiss. It was a kiss.

A kiss was just a kiss, right?

She clenched her teeth and her shoulders slumped. No, it wasn't just a kiss. It had hurt Gumi. It had hurt Miku. It had even hurt herself. That kiss had turned her world upside down. Gumi no longer spoke to Miki, and even went as far as to leave the table during breakfast when she became aware of the redhead's presence. Miku was no fool, and it was easy for her to see the betrayal that shown in Gumi's emerald eyes. She knew Gumi had every right to be upset with what had happened, and Gumi had the right to feel guarded around her. After all, it must have seemed like she was playing Gumi for a fool if she was able to kiss Iroha back so easily.

Aside from her commander now avoiding being left alone with her, Miki was acutely aware of Miku's frustration. The teal haired girl would look Miki, visibly tense up, and then look away. It was as if Miku had no idea what to think of Miki, and it crushed the redhead to see that her two best friends were upset with her. Not that she could blame them... That single kiss had caused Gumi to throw her walls back up and create an impenetrable fortress around her heart. That single kiss has caused Miku to avoid making eye contact with her, possibly out of loathe, spite, disappointment, sorrow, or a combination of the four.

The only one who was seemingly unaffected by the kiss was Iroha, and Miki had no idea what to make of the cat-like girl. Since the interview, Iroha had only sent her a few flirty text messages and dropped off an extremely large Hello Kitty plush toy. During Iroha's brief visit, the cat-like girl stole another kiss, and sauntered off to speak with Lily and Luka. And much to Miki's frustration, she had returned Iroha's kiss, and cuddled with the Hello Kitty plush toy that night when she went to bed.

"God... I really messed things up," Miki mumbled to herself. Her week had been spent like this for the most part. At first, she had tried to make amends with Gumi and explain that she wasn't thinking when she had kissed Iroha back. She wanted to tell the green haired girl what she was going to say during the interview before Iroha had kissed her. More than anything, Miki wanted to say that she would pick Gumi over Iroha. But that single kiss had spoiled everything, and Miki was unsure of what may happen in the future. It scared her to even think that Gumi could hold this against her, and that she may never have another chance to be with the short haired girl. And she had come so close to helping Gumi move on from the past...  
>It seemed that Miki needed to triumph over the past before she could help Gumi. And this task was quickly becoming impossible thanks to Nekomura Iroha and that kiss.<p>

Before she knew it, salty years stung at the corners of her eyes. But this was nothing new. Ever since her two best friends had become upset with her, Miki spent her time alone, rewatching the interviews over and over again. It was fitting, in her mind. She made Gumi and possibly Miku miserable. So she might as well suffer herself.

But she knew this way of thinking was not healthy. If she wanted to help Gumi open up and escape from the past, Miki would have to do the same herself. Otherwise she would be seen as a hypocrite and it would give the green haired girl another reason to loathe her. No, Miki knew she needed to talk to someone about how she was feeling ASAP. But who could she possibly go to?

Gumi was upset with her.

Miku was upset with her... Maybe.

The twins? ...  
>No. They wouldn't understand the complexity of a 16 year old's feelings.<p>

Gakupo? Kaito?

They wouldn't understand the complexity of a 16 year old _girl's_ feelings.

Lily? No. Wasn't the blonde teasing Luka about Miku a while back?

Meiko?  
>A bead of sweat rolled down Miki's head as she dismissed the drunken brunette.<p>

So that left...

* * *

><p>"Lily-chan!" the pinkette huffed, as she placed her hands on her hips. Her light blue eyes looked at the catastrophe that Lily called her bedroom. Clothes were strewn about the room, and it was hard to tell if they were clean clothes or not. Luka shook her head when she noted that there were empty packages of candy and soda bottles left on the floor and coffee table. "Your room is a complete disaster!"<p>

Lily sat on her bed with her legs crossed, and her hands gripping her ankles. "Eh? Sorta, I guess," she laughed. "But I can still find everything I need. And it doesn't bother me to have it like this, since people don't usually come in here, anyway." The blonde shrugged her shoulders and continued to give her best friend a cheeky grin. Admittedly, Lily had only texted Luka to come over to her room just for the pleasure of seeing Luka's reaction to the mess in her room. She knew Luka had some neat freak tendencies, and so her reactions to obscene messes tended to be quite amusing.

"What!" Luka exclaimed in disbelief. "This room—It's awful! You really should clean up after yourself!" She began to pick up some of the clothes nearest to her. With a shake of her head she continued to lecture the blonde. "Honestly, Lily-chan. I thought you would grow out of this by the time you moved into the mansion. I didn't think It was possible for you to create such a huge mess in such a huge bedroom." The pink haired girl frowned at her friend once more. "This place is a pigsty! It's absolutely filthy!"

"Why, thank you."

"You're welcome- that wasn't a compliment!" Luka huffed indignantly. Although it was a rare sight to see the bi-lingual girl so worked up, Lily relished the sight.

The blonde girl laughed and shrugged her shoulders. "Aw, c'mon, Lu-chan! As long as it doesn't bother me, then it's fine!" she explained, as she hopped up from the bed. Lily threw her arms over her head, and stretched her back and torso as she did so. "I thought it'd be fun to hang out, anyway. We haven't really hung out since our date and all..." Her deep blue eyes looked at the pink haired girl hopefully.

Luka's light blue eyes gazed back at Lily, and she blushed a little bit when she realized that Lily was hoping for another date... Or at least some alone time with her. Either way, they would be alone, and if they were alone feelings would become involved... And if feelings were involved then there might be a kiss... And a kiss- Luka stopped her mind from jumping ahead. They weren't a couple. And there was still the hurting, secretive, yet worry-full tealeatte to consider...

"Oi, Lu-chan... You staring at me like that is kinda freaking me out," Lily said, as her blonde head popped up right in front of Luka's.

Startled, Luka scrambled back away from Lily. Her foot snagged onto a t-shirt that had been left on the floor and cause her to lose her balance. The stack of clothes that she had only recently spent her time gathering flew up into the air as Luka flailed her arms wildly in order to regain a sense of balance.

"Eep-"

"Whoa!"

Luka gulped, and felt her face go from a pale pink to scarlet in an instant. Instead of falling down to the floor, Lily had managed to rescue her. The blonde's slender, but strong, left arm was firmly wrapped around her waist, while the other hand had managed to hold onto Luka's left wrist.

Deep blue met pale blue in an intense gaze, neither one daring to be the first to break the moment.

"Lu-chan," Lily breathed, with a smirk of amusement plastered onto her face. "You really are a klutz, aren't ya?"

"Wh-what? No, I'm not!" Luka protested feebly. Under the gaze of those endlessly deep blue eyes and that familiar grin on Lily's face caused Luka's heart to shoot into overdrive. The pink haired girl could have sworn that her heartbeat was audible to her friend, and the thought of how close they were to each other, physically, in this particular moment only added to her blush.

Luka knew Lily well enough to recognize the mischievous glint in her friends eyes. She gulped, and felt her lips go dry when she also realized that Lily was closing the distance between them. "L-Lily-..."

Her words were cut short by Lily's lips pressing against her own. It seemed that the blonde was eager to deepen the kiss, for her lips moved against Luka's fervently. It was as if she were begging a response from the pink haired girl. Luka, though, was still in a state of mild shock, eyes wide. Her eyelids hesitantly closed and she found herself slowly following Lily's lead. It wasn't long before instinct took over, and her hands gripped onto the thick cotton cloth of Lily's hoodie.

And while kissing, Luka felt the corners of her best friend's lips curve into a smile. Luka knew her friend was pleased with the response that she received, and for some reason beyond her comprehension, she found herself smiling as well. She was dimly aware of being moved, but she didn't protest. Instead, the pink idol continued to chase after Lily's lips. It wasn't until she felt her back hit something soft that she realized where she had been moved to.

The bed.  
>And aside from that, Luka could feel that the buttons of her white button-down were being undone.<p>

Alarm bells went off in the back of her head, telling her to stop things before they reach the point of no return. At the back of her head, Luka was dimly aware of the war raging in her subconscious. Her rational self was screaming that things could go horribly wrong, that she may be biting off more than she can chew by allowing Lily to press on like this. Part of her wanted to completely reject what they were doing, insisting that this was too much. Another part of her put so much trust into Lily. Lily was her best friend, and there was no real reason to mistrust Lily, right? The blonde wouldn't hurt her, part of her mind rationalized. So this was perfectly acceptable. And then there was the final part of her mind, the instinct that was currently dominating the three way battle within Luka. Carnal desire argued that maybe things were supposed to be this way, or, rather, it didn't matter what happened as long as she were satisfied. Satisfaction and the incredible rush that came from this interaction with Lily should trump whatever sort of confliction Luka felt.

And carnal desire was dominating the battle.

Fingers glided along her now exposed stomach. The cool touch to her now burning skin sent tingles up Luka's spine. She shivered at the touch, and only tightened her grip on Lily's fitted black hoodie. With a quick tug, she pulled Lily's body closer to her own, begging for more contact with her childhood friend. Even though she knew that what they were doing could only worsen their situation, she was unable to stop herself. Her body was moving on instinct alone, completely ignoring her frantic, rational mind.

And though her rational mind was being ignored by her body, Luka was well aware of what may happen if things were to be taken to the next level. Ultimately, it may be interpreted to mean that she chose Lily over Miku. And this was not true. As of late, the pinkeatte had been leaning towards the teal haired girl. After their date, it was clear that they were both quite similar when it came to their worrisome habits... But right now...

God, right now, Luka was drowning in the taste and sensation known as Masuda Lily.

The tangled pair were unaware of the clicking of the door opening. A red ahoge poked into the room before the owner showed her face. "Luka-nee, are you here?" the soprano voice of Furukawa Miki called out, her voice raspy from crying earlier. "G-Gakupo-nii said you might be-!"

Lily and Luka quickly looked at Miki, and both had their blue eyes wide with shock. Luka's hands were still holding Lily's hoodie with a dead man's grip. Lily had one arm snaked around Luka's waist, and her free hand was gripping at the nape of the pink haired girl's neck. There was nearly zero distance between the pair. It was only then that she realized that not only had her shirt been undone, but her skirt had somehow come off as well. In an instant, Luka felt her body envelope in a head to toe blush. She looked at Lily, who looked almost as embarrassed as she felt. The blonde made no move to get off of her, though.

Miki stared at her two Onee-sans, her mouth gaping open. Her ruby eyes were wide and she covered her mouth with one hand. "Oh—Oh, I'm—S-sorry, I had no idea—L-Luka-nee—Sorry!" The sixteen year-old stuttered, as she stared at the pair, clearly in a state of shock.

Luka was quick to scramble away from Lily. She sat up, and quickly fiddled with her buttons in a desperate attempt to cover herself. "M-Miki-chan," she stammered, as she tried to recompose herself. "This isn't—It isn't what it looks like!"

Beside her, the long haired blonde snickered as she pushed her bangs out from her face. "I dunno, Lu-chan," she teased. "It kinda does look like we were going to do something pretty dirty, eh?" Lily was having a hard time keeping a straight face, despite the fact that she had been caught removing Luka's clothes. A grin made its way onto her face, and she was finding it increasingly difficult to stifle her laughter.

"L-Lily-chan!" Luka looked absolutely mortified. "Stop! We didn't—we weren't going to—"

"No, no, I—I understand," Miki gasped out. "You—And—Okay, yes, I see." She gulped and looked at the two older girls as she mindlessly nodded her head. "You two are… Yeah, I got it. D-does Miku-nee— Never mind… I'll talk to you later, then, Luka-nee." The young girl quickly turned on her heels and bolted down the hallway.

"Miki-chan!" Luka groaned, and leaned back against the pile of pillows on the bed. She glanced at Lily, who offered her a cheeky grin. "This—That was bad," she mumbled, as she reached for her skirt. Her rational side continued to yell at her over what had just occurred. "Miki-chan saw… We shouldn't have done that, Lily." With a frown on her face, she slipped her skirt back on.

Lily shrugged her shoulders, and resumed her cross-legged position. "So what? You like me, I like you…" Another shrug. "That's what happens when people are attracted to each other, right?"

"Y-yes, but…" The pink haired girl stood up and ran her fingers through her hair. "Miku-chan." The name left her lips and she cringed. The thought of hurting the teal haired girl was painful. Miku was already stressed out by what had occurred between Miki and Iroha; anyone in the mansion could see that Miku was beginning to treat the ahoge'd girl differently. And Luka had yet to confront MIku about it. Aside from that, Luka could also tell that Miku was hurting over the fact that Gumi had closed up once more… If the teal girl were to hear about this incident, Luka knew that things between her and Miku could no longer progress. There would be no way for Luka to help heal the younger girl…

"Tch…" Lily frowned upon hearing the name of her rival. "What about Miku?" she asked, her voice cool.

The cold malice in Lily's voice surprised Luka. She stood up and regarded her friend with a look of confusion in her light blue eyes. "You know I like Miku-chan, too," Luka answered quietly. "I can't… It's hard to do something like that with you, but then feel okay about it afterwards. I like Miku-chan a lot…"

A sigh came from the blonde, and she sprawled out on the bed. "Yeah, yeah… I know…" Lily huffed as she shut her eyes.

Beside the bed, Luka smoothed out any creases on her white button down. She looked at Lily awkwardly; cheeks still flushed, she shook her head. "You know you mean a lot to me…" Luka added though her voice was still soft.

There was a long pause. "I know that, too."

"I just… Need time to figure out what I want to do," Luka continued, as she began to comb her fingers through her long hair. "Well… Not what I want to do, but who I want to be with," she corrected herself. With a heavy heart and another shake of her head, she strode towards the door. "Uhm… Maybe… You can clean up your room and we can hang out later." It was a lame thing to say, but after what had just occurred, Luka had no idea what to say to her friend.

A chuckle was the only reply she received before she shut the door behind her.

On the bedside table, Lily's phone began to vibrate. The blonde stretched her arm and snatched it off of the table. Her blue eyes quickly read over the message that she had received.

_Nya, nya! (^w^) You said we needed to talk, right? I'm at the mansion now! _

"…Eh? She's here? Now?" Lily frowned a little bit, but quickly typed back a reply.

_I'm not busy. Just head up to my room…And bring some popcorn.-Lily_

* * *

><p>Miki was too wrapped up in her own thoughts to mind her surroundings. After all, she had stumbled upon the sight of Lily stripping Luka down to her underwear. The image of the busty pink haired girl in her black, almost <em>scandalously<em>, lacy black underwear set was forever engraved into her mind. "Nn! Luka-nee's so well endowed—Eep!" She collided into another person, and she squeezed her red eyes shut. "Ah! _S-sumimasen!"_ She squealed, when she frantically opened her eyes to look up at the other girl.

Ruby eyes met yellow ones, and the ruby eyes widened. "Ne, ne, Miki-chan!" Nekomura Iroha sang, as she spread her arms out to envelope the smaller girl in a hug.

Miki shied away from Iroha, narrowly avoiding the projected hug. Her expression was clearly puzzled as she regarded the taller girl, and slowly, it became more guarded as she realized that they were the only occupants of the hallway. The redhead gulped and took a step back from Iroha. "I-Iroha-senpai, what are you doing here?" She managed to ask.

"Eh?" Iroha blinked a couple of times, and shoved her hands into the front pockets of her jeans. She shrugged her shoulders and continued to smile down at the younger girl. It was then that Miki noted that the catlike girl had almost a sharpened edge to her canine teeth, and it only heightened the catlike appearance that Iroha already had. "I just wanted to visit my favorite little _kouhai_!" Iroha lifted one hand up and affectionately patted Miki on the head. "Mou, you're too cute, you know! _Kawaii!"_

Miki flushed at this. She reached up and gently pushed Iroha's hand off of her head.

Iroha raised a brow and let her hand fall to her side. "Ne? Something wrong, Miki-chan?"

"I- Please don't do this, Iroha-senpai," Miki pleaded. "I don't understand why you kissed me last week or why you suddenly decided to jump back into my life-"

"Eh? I need a reason for everything?" Sanrio's sponsored Vocaloid asked with a hint of amusement. "Mm, well, I did all that because I felt like it!"

Miki stared at Iroha with a sense of hopelessness. There was no point in trying to pry the truth from the older Vocaloid. "That's not true, is it...?"

"_Nani?"_

"What you just said. You're not doing this because you feel like it, right?" Miki frowned a little bit. The younger girl bit her bottom lip, and shook her head. "Mou, Iroha-senpai..."

Iroha was quiet. Her golden eyes stared down at the younger girl as she waited patiently for Miki to continue.

"I don't understand you... And I don't want to be hurt again," the redhead added quietly. Her head was craned down, and her brilliant ruby eyes were hidden behind her thick red bangs."If you're doing this because you think it's funny-"

"Nya? I'm not doing this because it's funny, Miki-chan!" The catlike girl giggled, and slowly sauntered up to other girl. "I'm not doing it to be funny, or to pick on you, or anything like _thaaaat~_"

"Then why are you doing this? Are you trying to hurt me?" Miki continued to speak towards the floor, but she was no longer able to contain the hurt in her voice. It was hard to talk about this. To talk about how she still had feelings for Iroha. Though those feelings may be weaker than what she felt for Gumi, those feelings were there nonetheless. "Because… I just want to know what's going on, Iroha-senpai. I don't want to be made a fool of again…" She sniffled, and quickly wiped at her eyes with the sleeves of her favorite navy and white striped woven cardigan.

The sniffling ceased when Miki felt herself suddenly pressed against the wall. Startled, she looked up at Iroha, and opened her mouth to protest, but closed it when she realized that Iroha was not going to try and steal a kiss. The older girl simply grinned at her, and wiped away the younger girls years with the sleeves of her own jacket.

"Mou, Miki-chan! You shouldn't cry! It doesn't suit you at all," Iroha said. One hand was pressed against the wall, and acted as a successful barrier to trap Miki between herself and the wall. "You're too cute for that."

The younger girl stared into those golden eyes, and struggled to mentally name all of the emotions reflected in those golden orbs. Miki was a firm believer of the phrase "Eyes are the windows to a person's soul." And right now, Miku saw that Iroha was hiding something from her. Aside from that, it was clear that Iroha was simply enjoying the moment, finding the situation to be amusing. "I-Iroha-senpai," she stammered, and she cringed when she realized how tiny her voice sounded.

"Yes, Miki-chan?~" Those enchanting, unique, golden eyes began to move closer to her own deep red eyes.

She felt like she could try once more. "Why are you doing this? Did... Did Lily-nee and Meiko-nee ask you to do this?" Miki asked. The ahoge'd girl may not be as brilliant as a certain green haired girl, but she was still clever enough to put two and two together. Or so she liked to think. "The twins told us that they were basically hired to find our weaknesses..."

At this, a thoughtful look crossed Iroha's playful features. "Nya! Maybe they did, maybe they didn't!" she answered with another smile. It was as if Sanrio's Vocaloid was in an eternal state of good humor. "But, really... I'm doing this because I want to. No one's making me."

Miki noted that Iroha failed to clarify what exactly she was doing. Did the older girl truly like her, or was it all a facade put on by Lily and Meiko? To her surprise, the aloof dark pink haired girl continued.

"I'm doing this willingly. Joining in on all of this-" Iroha waved a hand in the air to make a general gesture to the mansion and its residents. "Because I want to be involved. Being involved means I can work with the person that I admire."

"Admire?" Miki repeated, unsure if she had heard the cat-like girl correctly.

"Un!" The ponytailed girl nodded once. "I like this person a lot, so I don't mind getting involved, even if it means other people will hate me for what I'm doing. I just want to see if there's a way for me to be with this person and help them at the same time. They're lost and they need someone to help them, I think."

Miki was hit with a wave of déjà vu. Hadn't she thought the very same things about Gumi-chan?  
>Wait... Iroha likes someone? Who..?<p>

The question must have been painted across Miki's face, because Iroha laughed.

"Mou, Miki-chan, you're so cute when you're confused!" the older girl began to close the distance between them, clearly aiming for a kiss. "Absolutely adorable," she purred.

"This- no- d-don't-" the younger girl squeaked. She knew if Iroha kissed her now, she wouldn't be able to resist. Even if she still wanted to be with Gumi... After that one kiss with Iroha...

Sensing the inner turmoil within Miki, Iroha's smile only widened. "I promise you'll like it, Miki-ch—"

"Oi, Iroha. Whaddaya think you're up to?"

"_Baka neko_, back the hell up!"

Two strong, distinct voices interrupted Iroha. Both spoke simultaneously, and these voices caught Miki and Iroha off guard, and they turned their heads to look in opposite directions. Golden eyes met blue eyes as deep as the ocean; and ruby eyes met narrowed emerald eyes.

"G-Gumi-nee!" A wave of relief washed over Miki. Hopefully Gumi would be able to pull her away from Iroha. Unless Gumi was still upset, that is.

Iroha laughed, and gave the long haired blonde a cheeky grin. "Oh! Lily~ I wasn't expecting to see you!"

Gumi quickly strode towards Iroha and Miki, exuding an aura of rage. She reached beneath Iroha's arm, grabbed Miki's hand, and pulled the younger girl out of the makeshift trap. With another searing glare at Iroha, Gumi spoke. "Don't try and pull something like that again," she warned, voice full of malice.

At this, Iroha merely shrugged her shoulders and smiled cheekily at Gumi. "I was only having some fun," she explained. "Miki-chan's adorable, ne? She's just too cute to resist!"

Miki gulped and half hid behind her green haired savior. With her free petite hand, she gripped onto the back of Gumi's standard orange hoodie. She felt Gumi release her hand, and immediately her red eyes looked down at Gumi's empty hands.

"Shut up," Gumi snapped back. "You were forcing yourself on her, and that's not right at all." Those hands clenched into fists, and Miki could sense Gumi tense up, gearing up for a fight. "That could be considered sexual harassment, you know. It's frowned upon in society." She took a step forward, but was tugged back by Miki. "I'll fucking _kill_ you if you try something stupid like that—Forcing yourself on her back then _and_ now? You're just a dirty little cat—"

"G-Gumi-nee!"

"_Damare!_Stay out of this, Miki!"

Lily, who had allowed the exchange to carry on, shook her head. The blonde grabbed onto Iroha's long ponytail, and gave it a sharp tug. "Iroha. Let's go before you get your ass kicked," she said, before walking back towards her room.

Iroha let out a small yowl of discontent, but halfheartedly followed Lily. Before entering the blonde's bedroom, she looked back at Miki and winked. The door clicked shut behind Iroha, and the two younger Vocaloids were left alone in the hallway.

They both stood in silence. The elder girl shoved her hands into the pouch pocket of her favorite over-sized orange hoodie, a guarded expression on her face. She made no attempt to break the silence.

"Ano, Gumi-nee…" Miki began, deciding to be the first to speak. "About what just happened… And last week, too… I wasn't—"

"Stop." Gumi avoided making any eye contact with the younger girl. Teeth were clenched as she roughly pulled out of Miki's grip by suddenly walking back down the hallway. "I don't want to talk about it."

The redhead felt her heart sink as she watched her crush walk away. "G-Gumi-nee-! _Chotto matte, kudasai!"_ She quickly followed after the older girl. It was hard for her to figure out a way to explain what had happened between her and Iroha to the older girl. After all, it wasn't like Miki had _asked_ to be kissed during her interview or anything, and she certainly wasn't trying to let Iroha take advantage of the moment just then. "Please, can we talk about things?" She begged. "It… It isn't fair for you to be mad at me without me explaining myself…"

"Tch…" The green haired girl stopped midway between the two wings of the house, at the top of the dual staircases. Turning on her heels, she finally looked at Miki, a very guarded, very hostile expression on her face. "_Fine,_" she said coolly. "Go ahead."

Startled by the icy tone that she received, Miki gulped, and came to a halt. Out of nervous habit, she bit down on her bottom lip and began to twiddle her thumbs, her eyes downcast as she used her bangs as a sort of shield. Being under that icy glare was making her uncomfortable. She had only seen Gumi direct such a cold look towards the twins, to Meiko, and on occasion, towards Miku; but never had she been on the receiving end of such a look. "Ah—W-well… It… It was all a mistake," she mumbled feebly. "I was caught off guard when Iroha-sempai-… Well…"

"Kissed you."

"Y-yes," Miki nodded. Hesitantly, she lifted her head up and stared back into those hurting green eyes. After seeing how upset Gumi was made her realize that this was not going to be easy for Gumi to get past. "It… I never asked for her to do that, you know. It isn't my fault—"

"You kissed her back."

Miki flinched, and almost shrank away from Gumi. "Y-yes, but—I wasn't… I wasn't thinking about what I was doing," she sighed in defeat. "At first, I really wanted to get away from Iroha during the interview. Because—Because I knew you were watching… But, I don't know. I just wasn't thinking and ended up going along with it… I know I shouldn't have done that, though," she added quickly, as she looked at Gumi frantically. "Because—Because, I was going to answer Tainaka-san's question—I was going to say—"

"It's fine. The kiss doesn't bother me," Gumi turned her back to Miki and began to walk once more. "You can kiss whoever you want. It's not like we were going to be a couple or anything anyway."

Watching that orange clad figure walk away was one of the saddest things that Miki had ever seen. It was a figure who felt abandoned by all, a figure who found it hard to trust even the closest of friends, a figure that was struggling to find peace with themself and with the world.  
>And Miki knew that she needed to heal this person.<p>

"No—That's—!" Once more, Miki found herself chasing after someone who did not want to be followed. Without thinking about what she was doing, the smaller girl launched herself at Gumi, and wrapped her arms tightly around the older girl's torso. "Please don't leave me… Don't leave me alone. I don't want you to be angry with me over something like this." She wasn't sure where this sudden burst of bravery came from, but she was going to use every last drop of it to say what needed to be said. "You said you'd fight me and you'd close up and not talk to me—And I'm willing to fight back. I'll fight back and tell you the truth all of the time. I'll fight and make you see that I never meant to hurt you, and I just want to help you."

Gumi sighed, and looked up at the ceiling. She stopped walking, and pursed her lips together. "You know, I really don't get people like you," she muttered. "You keep saying you want to help me, but it doesn't really seem like you've done much, ya know."

At this, Miki felt her stomach twist itself into knots. Had she really done nothing so far? She had tried talking to Gumi… Hadn't she? That was something. "But… I do want to help, "she mumbled, as she buried her face into Gumi's back. "I do."

"You sure you're just not being selfish and saying that you want to help me… Just so you can get close enough to me to get me to like you?" Gumi questioned. "Or maybe you just needed a pick-me-up after Iroha rejected you, so I was the next best thing."

"No—No! That's not it at all!" Miki said, completely floored that Gumi would even think of such a thing. "I just—"

"I know, I know," the elder girl sighed, and shook her head. "I get it, okay? You want to help. You don't get what's going on. You're upset that I've been ignoring you. I get it."

The younger girl was quiet for a few seconds. "Then why are acting like this?" She demanded, eyes squeezed tight. "Why are you acting like things won't be okay again?"

"Because… I don't want to get so close to you, only to end up getting hurt all over again," Gumi answered. "Look. It doesn't really matter, anyway. So let me go so I can go see what Miku's whining about now."

When the teal haired girl was mentioned, Miki let a gasp out, and clutched onto Gumi tighter. "Ah—_Ch-chotto matte!"_ She stammered out, as she pulled her face out of the sweet smell of the orange hoodie. "I—I have to talk to you before you see Miku-nee!"

"What is it this time?"

"I—I saw—Luka-nee—And Lily-nee—"

"_What?_"

"They were—I saw—They—And then—The shirt—The skirt—Her _breasts _are so big!"

"….. What?"

Miki felt her facec grow hot when she realized that Gumi had turned around in her vice-like hug, only to stare down at Miki in complete and utter confusion. "I—L-Look, I saw something happen and I need to tell you!"

"…. Something involving Luka-nee's chest?"

"Yes—No—Sort of!" Miki sighed, and buried her face into Gumi's covered collarbone.  
>If this kept up, she would never be able to tell Gumi what she had seen.<p>

She felt the older girl's shoulder relax, and Gumi's chest rumbled as she began to snicker. "Whatever… Just calm down and tell me what happened… Or I will leave and go find Miku. 'Cause she's probably thinking that I'm going to hang myself or something."

Such a morbid joke only made Miki tear her face away from Gumi's shoulder, her ruby eyes wide with horror as she gazed at her crush in a panicked frenzy. "_Nani?"_

"I'm not going to kill myself. So just tell me your damned story."

"Oh…" Miki took a deep breath, and put her face back into Gumi's shoulder, this time embarrassed. "Okay… Well… I was sitting in my room, and I was feeling sort of down… And I remembered that Luka-nee said I could talk to her whenever I wanted to.." It wasn't long before the girl dove head first into the encounter that she had experienced prior to running into Iroha and Gumi.

* * *

><p>As soon as the door had shut behind Iroha, Lily turned on her heels to face the other Vocaloid. Arms folded across her chest, her deep blue eyes stared into the smiling golden ones that met her. "What was that?"<p>

"Nya?" Iroha continued to smile at Lily cheekily as she strode past the blonde and took a seat on the couch. "What are you talking about?"

Lily scrunched her nose up, and made sure to follow the catlike girl with her eyes. "What happened back there, I mean," she clarified, slightly miffed. "Why'd you do that?"

"Because that's what you and Meiko-san asked me to do, yeah?"

The blonde stiffened a little, and she could have sworn that the corner of her eye twitched at the smartass remark she received. As true as that may be, and as _perfect_ as a response as it was… It still pissed Lily off. She continued to frown at Iroha, hoping that maybe the other girl would be able to better explain herself.

"Nyaaa~ Well, you know," Iroha shrugged her shoulders. "The both of you did tell me to distract Gumi-chan and Miki-chan by messing around with Miki-chan. Meiko-san was right, though… I think Miki-chan does have some feelings left for me. But… Eh, they're not as strong as what she feels for Gumi-chan." She paused, and stretched out, suddenly occupying the entire couch. "You can tell by the look in her eyes, and the faces she makes. Miki-chan's an open book. But, ah, if you don't want me to screw with her relationship with Gumi-san, you shouldn't have asked me to do it in the first place." The girl raised a brow as she looked at Lily with a slightly curious expression. "Right?"

Lily snorted, and turned her head away from Iroha. Those words were all true, but… It wasn't like Lily had asked Iroha to do such a dirty task without a reason. Yet she still felt some sort of nagging pain in her heart at the thought of hurting Miki and Gumi in such an underhand way.

"Ne, ne! You're having doubts!" Iroha exclaimed, as she suddenly clapped her hands together. The glint in her eyes warned Lily that this conversation was headed towards uncharted waters. "_Sugoi!_ I was beginning to think that you really became a bad person, Lily-san!" She laughed and hugged one of the couch's pillows. "The whole plan that Meiko-san had, I'm guessing it was her plan, since you don't seem like the revenge-seeking type… That plan is awful," she continued, with a shake of her head. "It's smart, yeah, but awful because it's so mean! I was really surprised to hear that you agreed to it, too. I thought you would never do something like that…"

The blonde girl frowned, and shook her head. "I'll do what I have to do," she replied indifferently. "The ends justify the means."

"Not if the means hurt everyone, especially the innocent," Iroha argued. "Like Miki-chan. She doesn't really deserve for us to put her through this. It's so obvious that she's hurting because Gumi-chan _and_ Miku-chan have been acting differently around her. She doesn't seem as happy as she usually is. I don't like hurting her like this. It's all sorts of wrong… It makes me feel awful, but… I'm only staying along with this because of my own selfish reasons." She paused and put a hand to the top of her head, mimicking the ahoge that the redhead had. "And this piece of hair right here, it doesn't seem as happy, either."

"…_What?_" Lily felt a bead of sweat roll down the side of her head.

"Er—Nevermind." Iroha giggled to herself. "But—No. The ends don't justify the means if it's through destruction and pain. Playing dirty is never right…" A rare frown made its way onto her face. "You're going to feel awful about this plan if it works and you manage to get Luka-san. And if it _doesn't_ work, I hope you're ready for the consequences."

"Consequences?" Lily scoffed. "Not gonna happen. If it works, Luka won't know what happened."

"Ne? She's bound to find out someday… The truth always comes out," Iroha warned her friend. "Usually at the worst possible time, too."

"Not gonna happen."

Iroha gave her friend a grin worthy of the Cheshire cat himself. "If you say so~" she sang. "But in all seriousness… It's a kind of selfish, underhand tactic, I think. To use other people's weaknesses against them is bad. But, to me, it seems like you're just really afraid of losing Luka-san, right? Are you even sure if you _love_ her, let alone _like_ her?" Iroha pressed onwards, ignoring the apprehensive look on Lily's face. "Because, when I think about it, it seems like you just don't want to lose her since you've always had her by your side. So maybe, in all reality, you're jealous that she could enjoy someone else's company besides your own."

Lily continued to stare at Iroha icily, her guard up. How could such a moronic looking girl know so much about the human mind? It was baffling, since Iroha normally gave off the aura of a five-year old, albeit a mischievous five-year old. But what was bothering her the most was that Iroha seemed to know what was going on in Lily's mind, when no one else in the house had noticed the inner turmoil that she had been suffering over the past week or so. Not even Luka had noticed Lily act out of the ordinary…

When Lily remained silent, Iroha took this as a sign to continue her in-depth monologue of the intricacies of Lily's mind. "You're kind of easy to read, too, you know. At least, you are to me," the cat girl amended. "I'm not sure if anyone else will understand you after all of this. Or, rather, understand your way of thinking and your actions." She waved a hand dismissively. "I get it, though. No one else will. They'll probably think badly of you after this."

"Yeah?"

"Yup! Like, Luka-san, for example!" Iroha held up her index finger on one hand. "She'll probably very upset that you would do something like this, and probably wouldn't expect it from you at all. And then she'd probably say something like 'Lily-chan! I can't believe it… Why would you hurt someone over that? Just for me? That's awful… You shouldn't hurt other people to get what you want.' Or something." She shrugged a shoulder, and then put up a second finger. "Gumi-chan will probably hate you for a long time. She's got a strong sense of right and wrong, ne? Miki-chan mentioned that she knew that you and Meiko-san are using weaknesses, and she thinks I'm part of that weakness manipulation… She's right, but still. That means Gumi-chan must know, too, right? So if Gumi-chan knows, or, if she figures it out, she'll definitely hate you. And knowing her type, the 'I'm-tough' sort.. She'd think you're being a selfish bitch."

Lily merely shrugged. Okay, she could live with Gumi being angry with her for a little while. And as for Luka… She was sure that the pink haired girl would forgive her eventually… Hopefully… Her frown widened at this new doubt in her mind.

"Miku-chan… She's being really nice by not telling Luka-san about all this, ya know," Iroha stated, as she put a third finger up. "But you know, you're hurting her, too, right? She doesn't like seeing Gumi-chan and Miki-chan hurting like this. She's probably worried about them and all. But, ya know, if she really wanted to, she could tell Luka-san about this plan, and then…" The girl paused for added effect. "Like I said before, Luka-san would be upset with you."

The blonde sighed, and ran a hand through her hair, pushing her overgrown bangs back. "You're right…" She mumbled in defeat, surprised and irritated that Iroha was able to figure so much out about her own doubts and the possible reactions of the others. "But, it's too late to change anything. Just keep going."

"Huh?"

"Keep messing with Miki and Gumi. They're already messed up, and we're already in this deep. Might as well keep going," Lily said, as she crossed the room and flopped onto her bed. She ducked beneath the covers, and turned her back to the couch and the curiously watching cat. "I don't care anymore."

"You still care… I think you just don't really understand what you want, is all," Iroha purred, as she stood up from the couch. "But that's okay. You'll figure things out. This _neko-chan_ will help you figure it all out." The cat strode across the room, and crept onto the bed. She curled up into a ball beside Lily, as if she were actually a cat.

Lily stiffened a little bit, and relaxed when she realized that Iroha was not planning on making any advances. She sighed, and shut her eyes. Her mind was racing as she mused over what Iroha had just said. It was all true, and she knew it. Although she did not want to _accept_ that Iroha was right in all of her assumptions, Lily knew she would have to face the consequences of her actions soon. Either this wretched plan would work, and Luka would be her; or she would have to risk losing Luka's respect for quite some time, and put up with scorn from the rest of the house. Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft purr. Confused, Lily lifted her head up from her pillow and looked over her shoulder at the long, ponytailed, pink haired girl. She smiled slightly when she saw the peaceful expression on Iroha's face.

As catlike as Iroha may be, Lily could not deny that Iroha had some sort of softness to her. The other girl may be as sly or as clever as the Cheshire cat himself, but it seemed that Iroha could also be as quiet and content as a loved housecat. When her sleeping companion stretched out to occupy more than her fair share of the bed, Lily rolled her eyes. Damned cats sure loved to sleep. The blonde shook her head and sat up, deciding it would be best for her to take a catnap of her own on the couch. She swung her legs over the side of the bed, and went to get up when she felt something tug on her hand.

Puzzled, she looked back at Iroha, who had unconsciously gripped onto her hand. "Ah… Man, cats get lonely easily, huh?" Lily sighed, unable to hide the smirk on her face. It reminded her of the actions of a certain _koneko_ a month or so ago. "Damn you cats…"

But, wait. Iroha had mentioned she had felt awful for toying with Miki… But she did it for her own selfish reason? What the hell was wrong with this girl?  
>Lily massaged her temple with her free hand. She was too tired to think about this right now.<p>

She propped up some of the pillows against the headboard, and rested against them. She let Iroha hold onto her hand, and shut her own eyes. Her mind was still musing over Iroha's words, but Lily was sure she deserved a catnap at the very least. It wasn't long before her mind become cloudy and she fell asleep.

* * *

><p>The tealette sat on her favorite couch in her favorite retreat. She found herself frequenting the library more often, especially after the development during Miki's interview. The familiar black leather journal was open on her lap, and the girl hastily jotted down the last of her thoughts onto the inviting blank page. With a heavy sigh, she shut the journal and her teal eyes glanced over at the iPhone that sat beside her. She tapped the menu button, and a frown appeared on her face when she realized that it had been an hour since she had sent her text message to Gumi. The other girl had failed to reply.<br>Strange.  
>Gumi tended to reply to her messages rather quickly.<p>

Had something happened?  
>Was Gumi okay?<p>

Oh God. What if Gumi was hanging from the ceiling fan in her room—

Miku slapped her cheeks and shook her head quickly, shaking such morbid thoughts from her mind. "No, Gumi-chan's okay, I think," she mumbled to herself. "She has to be…"

"I think she'll be alright, too," a familiar voice said from behind the couch.

Teal eyes met light blue, and a small smile formed on Miku's weary face. "Ah, Luka-senpai. I wasn't expecting anyone to come in here," she said, as she swung her legs off of the couch cushions in order to make room for the pink haired girl.

Luka took a seat beside Miku, and carefully studied the younger girl's expression. "I remembered seeing you come here alone a few times, so I sort of figured you may be here," she replied, with a smile.

"Mm, I see…" Miku nodded and looked away. She sighed, and leaned back against the couch. "Well, since you're here, Luka-senpai, is it okay if we just… Talk?"

"I was hoping that you would suggest that."

The younger girl took a deep breath before she began to speak, feeling relieved that she now had someone she could share her worries with. "About Gumi-chan and Miki-chan… I'm worried about them. Ever since.. Since…"

"Last week."

"Since last week, they've both been very different," Miku sighed, and stared at her diary. "Gumi-chan doesn't really smile anymore—Her smiles were sorta rare to begin with, but still. She just seems kinda cold—er, colder now," she frowned a little when she noticed how she had to correct herself several times. "But, Gumi-chan… She just acts differently when Miki-chan shows up, like she doesn't want to be around Miki-chan. And it just sucks to see that. I thought that maybe Miki-chan would be able to heal her and help her, but, I guess it won't work that way if Gumi-chan just pushes Miki-chan away." The teal haired girl brushed her bangs aside before she carried on. "And with Miki-chan… She looks like she always wants to say something to me or to Gumi-chan, like she wants to explain herself. But she never says anything and ends up just looking away…"

Luka remained silent, nodding every so often.

"I don't know what to do… I just want them both to realize that they could help each other," Miku groaned. "Seeing both of them like this is making me miserable. All I can even think about is how upset the both of them are, and it's just so worrisome—Oh." It was as if a light bulb had suddenly turned on in her brain when she realized what was going on.  
>The twin's words. Lily's joint plan with Meiko.<br>_Holy __**fucking**__ shit._

"'Oh'?" Luka repeated, as she stared at Miku in confusion. "What do you mean 'oh'? Did something else happen?"

"Ah-!" Miku's eyes widened and she looked at Luka. She waved her hands back and forth in front of her frantically, and she attempted to put a smile on her face. "No, no! Nothing at all!"  
>As much as she <em>despised<em> Lily's underhand move, she had to admit it was clever of the blonde. And as clever and as awful as that plan was, Miku was not completely okay with revealing Lily's scheme to Luka. Although Miku was sure that this revelation would give her the upper hand, she did not want to destroy such a long-lasting friendship.

The look that Luka gave her was that of disbelief. "Are you _sure_ nothing happened?" she asked, a frown on her face. "I thought we agreed that we could be completely open with one another."

"Er—Yes, yes, we did," Miku nodded. "But, ah, really. This is no big deal. Nothing to worry about! Now let's go back to talking about Gumi-chan and Miki-chan!" Her words were rushed as she desperately attempted to steer the conversation elsewhere.

"Oh—Right! Gumi-chan and Miki-chan!" Luka blinked a few times. "About them. I think you should let them figure things out between the two of them on their own. Everyone knows that they have feelings for one another, but you can't be the one to keep pushing them together," she advised. "And after what happened with Iroha-chan and Miki-chan, ah… That's something that Miki-chan will have to face on her own, I think. Otherwise things won't get any better. It's really up to Miki-chan at this point, I think." She paused, and shook her head. "She has to choose whether or not she's strong enough to put Iroha-chan behind her and pursue Gumi-chan. And I also think that Gumi-chan has to understand that Miki-chan probably meant no harm from what had happened. It wasn't entirely Miki-chan's fault—"

"I know it wasn't Miki-chan's fault!"

"But Gumi-chan may not understand that right now," Luka pointed out. "So, just let her figure things out… She'll be alright in the end. Gumi-chan seems like a very strong person. After all, she has gone through worse…"

Miku flinched, realizing that this was Luka's way of mentioning the conflict between Gumi and her parents. "R-right…" she mumbled.

Luka nodded, and placed a hand on top of Miku's. She gave the younger girl's hand a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry too much over the troubles of others," she said softly. "I understand why you feel the way you do, but you need to realize that you can't fix everyone's problems for them."

Teal eyes met light blue.

"Now, tell me what you happened to realize when you were speaking earlier," Luka said, as her gentle smile suddenly had a clever hint to it.  
>The sight made Miku gulp.<p>

She had no idea that Luka could use such soothing words to lower her guard down.

"Ah—Earlier? That—Well, hm, it was nothing!"

"Don't lie to me, Miku-chan."

Miku looked away from Luka and was quiet for a few seconds. She then mumbled something under her breath, causing the pink haired girl to lean in towards Miku in order to catch those fleeting words.

"I'm sorry…" Luka shook her head. "I didn't quite catch that."

More mumbling. "…. Awful plan…"… "it's working…" were the only words Luka caught.

"Sorry… _Mou ichido?_"

Miku took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Lily-nee and Meiko-nee made an awful plan, and I realized that it's working really well…" she said quietly, looking a little upset with herself.

Luka raised an eyebrow, looking only slightly confused.

_SLAM!_

"Luka-nee!" Gumi roared as she strode towards the pair seated on the couch. Trailing only a few steps behind Gumi was Miki. The redhead had one arm outstretched, her hand clutching onto the back of the former's orange hoodie. Miki looked absolutely frantic, and it seemed as if she was trying to pull Gumi back into the hallway.

Both Luka and Miku stared at Gumi, startled by the sudden disturbance to the otherwise quiet library.

"Did you and that _ass_ Lily really—"

"G-Gumi-nee! Y-you said you weren't going to say anything—You promised!" the ahoge'd girl cried as she struggled to tug the green haired girl back out into the hall.

Gumi ignored Miki, and came to a halt in front of Luka. Her emerald eyes glared down at the startled pinkette. "You and Lily. Did you two have _sex?_"

"Luka-senpai…?" Miku looked at Luka, eyes a little wide. "You…?"

"No! No, no, no!" Luka said quickly, her cheeks flushing. "We didn't do anything like that!" She glanced at Miki. Miki quickly hid herself behind Gumi, a small whimper escaping her. Luka groaned, and looked back at those blazing green eyes. "I promise you, we did nothing more than… Er…" She scratched at her cheek and looked away, clearly embarrassed.

"You did nothing more than _what?"_ Gumi pressed, leaning forward so she could continue to burn holes through Luka's head. "What did you do? 'Cause it'd be pretty fucked up for you to screw Lily then come here and chat up Miku, ya know. I hate people that do shit like that."

"Wh-what—No! You have it all wrong!" Luka felt Miku slip her hand out from her own. "No—Miku-chan, nothing like that happened," she insisted, as she turned her light blue eyes to the teal haired girl beside her. Luka fidgeted uncomfortably beneath Gumi's intense glare, but she knew she needed to speak to Miku. "All we did—I don't know how it really happened—We just… Made.. out….." she admitted reluctantly.

"Oh… That's not so bad, then," Miku shrugged her shoulders, and stood up. "It's not as bad as what Lily-nee's doing behind your back." She was a little upset by this sudden revelation, especially since Luka had come here to talk to her… It seemed a little wrong for

Those words caught the rest of the group off guard. Green, red, and blue eyes were all focused on the tealette.

"Lily-nee isn't… She's different," Miku continued slowly. "Maybe it's because of all of the tension between the three of us, but she's changed. She's working with Meiko-nee now, and they're the ones that brought Iroha-san back… They're fighting dirty by using our—" at this she paused to gesture at herself and at Gumi and Miki. "- weaknesses against us. The twins told us that they were hired to find our weaknesses and give the information to Lily-nee and Meiko-nee. And that they would use our weaknesses in order to hurt us. Or—well, me. Lily-nee and Meiko-nee were looking for a way to bring me down, and I guess that they chose to do that through Miki-chan, and Gumi-chan, too."

Luka stared at Miku in disbelief. "Wh-what…?"

The teal haired girl looked saddened that she had to be the one to break the news to Luka, but…  
>"Lily-nee is probably the one who set up that whole scene with Miki-chan and Iroha-san during the interviews. I think—I think she's using Iroha-san to hurt me… And to hurt me she's willing to hurt Gumi-chan and Miki-chan…" Her words were soft, and she looked at Luka solemnly.<p>

"No—That—Lily-chan would never do that," Luka stammered, as she shook her head. "She would never stoop so low—"

"What the fuck—HOLY SHIT!" Gumi stared at Miku, and her hands clenched into fists. "Holy fucking shit! I forgot about what the twins said—Oh, _fuck!_" She glanced down at Miki, and then looked back at Miku. "Our weaknesses…"

The redhead bit down on her bottom lip, and buried her face into the orange hoodie.

Had the three of them really forgotten what the twins had told them? That their weaknesses would be used against them?

"No! Lily-chan—she wouldn't! I know Lily-chan, and that's not something she would do!" Luka said frantically, her image of the kind, good-natured blonde slowly shattering. "That's… she…. That's so wrong…. She wouldn't… Would she?"

Miki peered around Gumi to give Luka a sympathetic shake of the head.

"Jesus! It's so obvious now!" Gumi growled. "Fucking with Miki-chan's head by bringing back Iroha… And then fucking with my head 'cause Miki-chan's all sorts of confused… And making Miku probably freak the _fuck_ out—Fuck!" she couldn't remember the last time she had dropped the F Bomb so many times, but she was seriously pissed. "That damn blonde… That damned drunken brunette of an onee-san… I'm gonna kill 'em!"

Gumi was about to run off, but was stopped by Miki's slender arms wrapping themselves around her waist. A strangled sob came from the redhead, who had caved from the sudden realization. Miki wasn't made to handle things like this, and having her emotions toyed with was awful. "I-Iroha-senpai.. D-did that… J-just to-? Wh-why…" Miki's voice was muffled, but the three older girls knew what she was trying to say.

Miku and Gumi exchanged looks.  
>With a sigh, Gumi turned around and wrapped an arm awkwardly around the sobbing redhead. "Hey.. C'mon… Don't cry. Lily fucked us all over," she mumbled.<p>

Luka stared at Gumi and Miki, and then looked at Miku. "That can't be true… I don't understand…"

"Luka-senpai… I'm sorry, but, Lily-nee isn't playing fair…" Miku said slowly, as she sank back onto the couch.

The pinkette put her elbows onto her knees, and rested her head in her open palms. "No way… This is… Lily… Why would you do this?" she mumbled. "I… I don't even know her anymore…"

And teal haired girl was quiet for a moment. She sighed, and brushed her bangs aside once more. "I didn't want to tell you this before," she admitted. "Because I know how close you and Lily-nee are—"

"No, it's fine," Luka interrupted. "I'm glad you told me… I just can't believe she would do this… This is awful…" She stood up and shook her head once more. "I'm sorry that my friend had caused the three of you so much stress and pain. I-…" Luka closed her mouth, unable to find the right words to say. "Excuse me." The eldest girl was quick to leave the room.

When the pinkhaired girl vanished, Gumi glanced down at her teal haired best friend. "Well…?" Her arms were wrapped securely around the redhead, who was slowly regaining her composure.

"I feel bad about all of that… Luka-senpai seemed really shocked to hear that. But…" Miku laid down on the couch, and turned her back to Gumi. "All hell is about to break loose."

* * *

><p><strong>Note: <strong>AH. DELAYSDELAYSDELAYS! I'm really sorry about that delay. I had writer's block for a few days, and then I became super busy with exams. OTL  
>But I hope this chapter is easy for all of you to understand. Especially towards the end. If not, I'm very sorry that my writing skills are suffering because of the sheer amount of homework that had suddenly been thrown upon me. XD; Okay.. I'll stop with the excuses.<p>

Aside from that, I'm glad to see that the interviews in chapter 18 went over well! :D :D

_Replies to Reviews!_

_Masarau2509: _It's okay! I don't mind that you hadn't reviewed in a while! :D But it's nice to see a review from you again! Yes, a lot of drama has taken over SoL. XD; But I'm glad to see that you're still enjoying the story!

_PaperCutVictim: _I love Ricchan. XD;;; But you knew that already. After reading this chapter, I'm sure your thoughts of impending war have only multiplied. X_x; Also, your "ehehehe" made me giggle. LOL Thanks for reviewing again! It's always appreciated :D

_Jak656:_I'm glad to see that you enjoyed all of the interviews, and my writing style! It's always nice to hear that a reader/reviewer can enjoy my way of describing the characters. It makes me feel good about my writing style! Thank you for reading and reviewing!

_Major Mike Powell III: _ LOL. Oh man. I have no idea why, but your review made me grin. Seeing a reaction like that is good to know, because it means my writing was effective! Ah, thanks for the review!

_LukaFan:_ Yeah, I figured that Kaito and Meiko would have similar responses… They're just perfect for each other in that respect LOL. Ah, I see. I listened to "Next Stage", and I have to admit it was pretty good! ^^; When I get the chance, I'll have to listen to some more of his works. Thanks for pointing him out to me!

_Lupi-san:_ xD;; A lot of people are GumiMiku fans in this story, I think… Although I'm not sure about that after the recent chapters… But thank you for reading and reviewing! It's very much appreciated!

_Interstellar-Punk:_ Ah, first review? Thank you! I'm honored that you'd begin to review my story :D It's nice to see a new "face". I'm also glad to see that you enjoy the story, too! Thank you for your support!

_Neko-kath-01: _After our little PM, I hope things are a little clearer to you now! Thank you for your support! :D I hope to hear from you again!

_Meislovely: _So how'd all of that booze work for you guys? XD;; Am I going to be able to get a sober review?

_Toolazytolog: _Ah! Haven't seen your username in a while! :D Nice to hear from you again! But, yeah? You have an idea of how it'll end? Ah man… hahaha. I was hoping that I wouldn't be too predictable in my writing! I wonder if we both have the same ending in mind… That aside, thank you for your support!

_Kokoro Tenno: _Yes! K-ON! :D It's my favorite anime/manga of all time. Hahaha. I love it. And it seemed like Ricchan would be the perfect person to interview them. XP I'm glad to hear that you weren't too tired at school. I was a little worried that your grades for that day might have suffered from lack of sleep.  
>I'm the same way with sleep, too, though. Some days I can get by on only a few hours of sleep. Other days I really need a lot of sleep. XD; I guess it depends on what classes I have the next day… But thank you for your support! I really appreciate your reviews!<p>

_Blodh skolir: _another new face! Thank you for reading and supporting the story! I appreciate your review!

.

Alright. That's everyone, I think.  
>Thank you all for your support!<p>

Like I said before, we're getting closer and closer to the end of SoL. I hope all of you will stick around and reach the end with me! :D Any words of advice are appreciated, and I'd really like to improve my writing style. If anyone has any pointers, they'd be very much appreciated.

Once again, thank you all for your continued support. I'll see you in the next chapter!


	20. Our 16Bit Wars

**Slice of Life**

**Chapter 20 – Our 16-Bit Wars**

And here comes another chapter of SoL! Man. 20 Chapters… It's just amazing to think about. XD; To be honest, this story was supposed to be roughly 12 chapters, but my mind ended up coming up with more and more ideas until it became this. I'm glad to see that a lot of you have stuck around with it, and you all put up with me updating at all sorts of crazy hours (I think I updated the story at 3 AM in my time at one point).

This time around I was able to update faster because I had less work for my university classes this week! XP so there was certainly more free time to write out this chapter and get it to where I wanted it to be!  
>I finished this chapter a few hours ago, and was planning on waiting until this weekend to release it, but I decided I wanted to share the chapter with all of you ASAP! XP Maybe because I had quite a time writing this chapter...<p>

Going on a tangent here, I can officially say that while writing this story, Gumi has become my favorite character (thus explaining why the title for this chapter is taken from one of her own songs, and it's quite fitting). And out of my own curiosity, who is _**your**_ favorite SoL character at this point?

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

**Disclaimer:** _Keshite, watashi wa _"Vocaloids"_ o yuusanai. _I will never own Vocaloids. u_u

* * *

><p><em>It was quiet.<br>Too quiet._

The silence in this room was unnerving, and she was having a hard time adjusting herself to such a quiet environment. Hesitantly, she took a step forward. The sound of her black and white Authentic Lo Pro Van's skate shoes echoed across the room. Just this tap made her head spin. When she was alone in her own room, she would tend to have music playing in the background. And now that the room was silent, she became hyperaware of just how lonely she was. Frowning to herself, her deep blue eyes looked around the bland, white room. It was completely bare, void of any furnishings. What was the point of having such a large room if you were going to leave it empty?

Lily looked the room over once more, her eyes stopping on the white door that had seemingly appeared out of thin air. She could have sworn that it wasn't there the last time she allowed her eyes to wander the empty room. So where had this door come from? With another glance around the room, she concluded that she would have to use the door as her only means of escape, whether she wanted to or not.

_What a hassle._

_She crossed the room and put a hand onto the silver doorknob. It was ice cold, but she wanted to leave this room. She needed to escape the silence, and escape the blindingly pure white of the room. Without a second thought, she twisted the doorknob open, and stepped out into an equally white hallway. Her left eye lid twitched at the sight of more white. White, white, white.  
>It seemed like the only other source of color was her outfit, which was composed of black skinny jeans, a black, fitted leather jacket, and a light gray tank top.<em>

_What dull colors…_

_Lily shook her head and began to walk down the hallway. Thanks to the white walls, white floor, and white ceiling, she felt like her depth perception was off. The hallway was seemingly endless, but Lily knew that couldn't be possible. _

_All things come to an end, for nothing can go on forever._

_As she walked, Lily became aware that someone was watching her. She halted, and looked around. To her surprise, portraits now lined the once empty walls of the hallway. And the portraits of the people depicted on the canvas stared at her, almost condescendingly. The blonde twitched when she realized that every portrait in the hallway were of people that she knew. _

_The other residents of the Vocaloid mansion._

_Lily tore her gaze away from the portrait of a smirking Kaito, and began to walk once more. But that feeling of being watched… It continued to bother her. Mentally reprimanding herself, Lily glanced to her left and saw a portrait of Megurine Luka. The pink haired girl was depicted with a warm, inviting smile on her face. The sight made Lily smile herself. _

_But…_

_The next portrait, and the portrait after that… They were all of Luka, but with each new portrait came a slight change. The smile on Luka's face became smaller and smaller, and eventually became a frown of disappointment and shame. The last portrait of Luka, or so Lily assumed that it was of Luka, showed the back of the pink haired diva. Luka's head was turned slightly to the side, and her deep blue eye stared at Lily as if she was disappointed at the blonde. _

_Confused, Lily continued to go down the hallway, wondering what the other portraits looked like. _

_The next portrait she came across was that of her teal haired rival. Miku's teal eyes had a guarded expression to them, but a smile was on her face. No, that wasn't right.  
>It was a fake smile.<br>The pokerface that Miku had worn for such a long time had returned, albeit on a portrait version of the twin-tailed girl. _

_A shiver went down Lily's spine the longer she stared at that empty, meaningless smile. She forced herself to move on to the next portrait._

_Her stomach twisted itself into knots and her chest tightened at the image depicted before her. The angelic face of the sixteen year-old redhead was marred with tears. Miki, or rather, portrait Miki, was curled up in a ball, seated in what seemed to be a corner of a room. It was clear that she was crying, for the artist had made her tears almost sparkle. Her long, red hair was messy, and the crying girl was rubbing at her eyes in a desperate attempt to fight away the tears. The sleeves of navy and white striped cardigan that Miki wore were damp, probably from her tears._

_Lily looked away from the portrait, her hands clenched into fists. Miki wasn't one to cry… Crying didn't suit her. She glanced back at the sad portrait, and felt her chest tighten once more. She needed to walk away from this picture. And walk away she did. _

_A bead of sweat rolled down the side of her head when the final portrait in the hallway was that of Sakine Meiko. The brunette had one hand on her hip, and the other arm outstretched with a thumbs up. Meiko was winking, and a cheeky grin was on her face. But it was easy for Lily to interpret the meaning of this portrait.  
><em>_**Good job.**_

_And that single thumbs up made Lily realize the meaning behind the previous portraits. They were all connected. Miki was crying because of her joint plan with Meiko. Miku's creepy-ass smile was back because she was trying to hide her pain. Luka's back was to her because she was ashamed of her best friend…_

_Lily wanted to destroy that painting of Meiko. A frown was on her face as she reached up to tear the picture and it's frame from the wall._

"_Ah, Lily, I wouldn't do that if I were you."_

_The sound of the voice sounded like an explosion to Lily. She had grown accustomed to the silence, and it was shocking to hear someone speak. The blonde turned her deep blue eyes at the source of the sound, and they widened in confusion._

_There, in the center of the hallway, stood Nekomura Iroha. A coy grin was on her face as she stared at Lily with those smoldering golden eyes. And under that gaze, Lily felt herself tense up. How could Iroha have arrived in the hallway without her noticing? After all, it had been silent… Wouldn't she have heard the catlike girl's footsteps? _

"_Nya~ I wouldn't worry about minor details like that," Iroha laughed. "How I got here isn't very important, Lily."_

"_Wha—How did you—Cats can't read minds, damn it!"_

_Another bout of giggles was earned, and Iroha shook her head. "Nya, no, we can't but the look on your face said it all," she answered. "That's not what I'm here to talk to you about."_

_Lily rubbed at her temples, and closed her eyes. What the __**fuck**__ was going on here? "Okay… Then what do you want to talk about?" she asked. "The pictures? 'Cause they're starting to freak me out a little. The one of Meiko's pissing me off, but, yeah…"_

_Iroha shook her head once more. "No, not the pictures. Although," she paused thoughtfully. "I guess they are kinda related to what I want to talk to you about." She shrugged her shoulders. _

"_What?... What do you want to talk about?" The blonde opened her eyes and stared back at the younger girl._

"_Nya, I think you already know the answer to that," the ponytailed girl replied. "I mean, you are the reason that they—" she gestured towards the portraits. "Look the way that they do. Your plan with Meiko-san caused all of that, you know."_

_Lily stiffened._

"_But, you know… I tried to warn you," Iroha continued, with an exaggerated sigh. "I told you it was a bad idea to toy with people's emotions back when you first called me. And earlier, too. I told you so. Toying with emotions can only lead to pain and destruction. It's quite awful, I think."_

"_Yeah, well—"_

"_Well, it's time for you to face the music."_

"_What?"_

_Iroha continued to grin at the puzzled blonde. And to Lily's amazement (or was it horror?), the catlike girl began to slowly vanish into thin air. "Best of luck to you, Lily." The last thing to vanish was that damned grin of Iroha's._

_Oh, the Cheshire Cat himself would be proud of this girl…_

_Once the cat-girl disappeared, Lily began to walk down the hallway once more. To her surprise, another person had entered this odd building. Standing at the end of the hall was a black clad figure. The robe that they wore was wrapped tightly around their shoulders, and the hood was pulled up, concealing the stranger. The closer Lily drew to this person, the more anxious she began to feel. Just who exactly was this person? And how was it that this stranger and Iroha were able to enter the building, while she was struggling to leave?_

"_Er—Excuse me," Lily said, as she came to a halt. There was more than enough distance between the two, for the blonde was careful to keep some space in case she needed to turn around and run._

_The figure kept their hood up, their face hidden beneath the black shadow that it cast. They nodded in acknowledgement. _

"_Can you tell me what's going on here?" Lily asked, as her blue eyes warily watched the cloaked person. "Where are we? How'd I get here? And who are you?"_

"_We're in the inbetween," the figure answered softly. Ominously. _

_That voice sounded familiar. But Lily couldn't recall where she had heard it before.  
>Someone she knew? Or someone she had passed on the street? Who…?<em>

"_You're here because it was decided you would be here."_

_That voice… No, it was someone she knew. _

"_I'm the Reaper." The figure threw back the cloak, and revealed a fitted black pin-stripe suit. Everything about the suit hugged the figure's body quite nicely, and the blood red tie that completed the ensemble was neatly tucked behind the jacket of said suit. The once cloaked figure gazed at the startled blonde with brilliant emerald eyes. "Are you ready?" _

"_Wha—Gumi?" Lily stepped back, her head spinning. _

_Gumi gave Lily a half-smile, one side of her mouth curling up. It was a mocking smile, and her emerald eyes glared at Lily condescendingly. With a flick of her wrist, she pushed her bangs aside, and reached into the inside pocket of her suit. A silver hand-gun was pulled out from, and the green haired girl cocked the gun. Her emerald eyes narrowed into slits, and her lips curved back to reveal brilliant white teeth. "Sayo-fucking-nara. And good riddance." _

_The gun was pointed at Lily's forehead, and the reaper took aim at her target. There was a bright flash of white and Lily squeezed her eyes shut. "NOO—"_

"—OOOO!" Lily sat up, her free hand clutching the bed sheets. Her chest was heaving as she gasped for air, and her blue eyes looked around the dark room erratically. It took her a moment to realize that she was in her bedroom, away from the green eyed shooter in her dreams. She took a deep breath, and gripped at her shirt, just above her heart. "What the hell…"

She was surprised to see that she had woken up in a cold sweat, for she shivered once she pushed the blankets off of her. Lily looked beside her, and was mildly surprised to see that Iroha had remained in her room, their fingers still laced together. It would appear that their catnaps had lasted longer than either had anticipated. A quick glance at the digital clock told Lily that it was 11:30 PM. What time had they fallen asleep?

Lily wasn't sure.

The girl slipped her hand out of Iroha's grip, and got up from the bed. With a yawn, she threw her arms up over her head, earning a few satisfying pops from her back. Lily shook her head and walked out of her bedroom. "What kind of messed up dream was that?" she mumbled to herself, as she quietly shut the door behind her. After a wild dream like that, she was sure that she needed a drink or two. It wasn't often that she dreamt, but apparently when she did dream, they were insane.

Lily ran her fingers through her long blonde hair and shook her head. She paused when she saw her best friend walk out of her own bedroom. "Ah—Lu-chan!" She grinned and quickly ran over to join the pinkette.

Luka glanced at Lily, and smiled slightly. "Good evening, Lily-chan," she replied. "You weren't at dinner."

"Ah, yeah…" The blonde laughed and rubbed the back of her head. "I took a nap, and ended up sleeping for a few hours. But, geez, I had the craziest dream!" She walked beside Luka, who was heading towards the hall closet. Lily raised a brow, silently wondering why Luka would need another futon when she already had a king sized bed. "It was insane, Lu-chan! You don't even know how weird it was!"

"A dream?" Luka repeated, as she opened the closet door. "That's weird. You don't usually dream. What happened?" She paused, and looked back at Lily, giving the other girl her undivided attention.

The blonde took a deep breath before diving headfirst into her story. She recounted to Lily the blandness of the all-white room, and how it had been completely sealed shut until that mysterious door appeared. "I should've figured something crazy was gonna happen once that door popped up," she added, with a shake of her head. Lily continued on with the story, giving a detailed description of each and every portrait she saw; from the smiling, friendly Luka to the gleeful, almost triumphant Meiko. The hardest part of describing the portraits had been recalling the image of the sobbing Miki. At this, Lily noticed Luka's curious expression had become filled with sorrow. She supposed it was because Luka couldn't stand the thought of someone they knew being in distraught. Pressing on with the story of her dream, Lily mentioned how ominous Iroha had been.

"And that cat even said something like 'It's time to face the music.'"

"That's kind of witty," Luka mused. "Since we're all Vocaloids, after all. Foreshadowing, maybe? With a comedic spin…"

Lily snorted. "Yeah, well… After that, I saw Gumi there. She was in a suit lookin' pretty cool, I guess," she shrugged. "But she pulled a gun out and BANG!" At this point, Lily's hands were held up to form "guns" to emphasize her point. "She shot me, and I woke up. Crazy, right?"

Luka stared at Lily, and slowly nodded her head. "Y-yeah.. That is a pretty, uhm, intense dream," she agreed. "I had a dream earlier, too, when I took my nap."

"Yeah?" Lily grinned, wondering what her best friend dreamt of this time. "Was it another dream about snowmen becoming alive and taking over the world?"

"N-no!" Luka's cheeks flushed as she scowled at the blonde. "It wasn't anything like that. It was just ridiculous, because I know it could never happen."

"Yeah, yeah? Wanna tell me about it?"

"Mm…" Luka propped one elbow up on the palm of her hand, and tapped her cheek thoughtfully. "Where to begin… Ah, well, from what I can remember, I was in the library with Miku-chan."

The story just began, but Lily was already dissatisfied with it.

"Miku-chan and I were sitting on the couch talking. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary, since we were just talking about our troubles," Luka continued, oblivious to the slight frown that had made its way onto Lily's face. "She talked about how worried she was about Gumi-chan and Miki-chan, and how they weren't on speaking terms." She paused, and shook her head. "I think I really only dreamed about this since I'm worried about the three of them myself."

Lily could believe that. Luka was the type to worry about others, after all.

"Ah, anyway… Our conversation was interrupted by both Gumi-chan and Miki-chan storming into the library—"

"Miki-chan stormed into the library?"

"…Gumi-chan stormed into the library, and Miki-chan was dragged along," Luka amended with a slight smile on her face. "Gumi-chan was yelling at me, and Miki-chan was trying to make her stop… Mm, let's see… Ah! The unbelievable part that I mentioned before," she paused and made eye contact with Lily. "Miku-chan told me that you were the type to fight dirty. I didn't think that was true, but she was saying all sorts of things in my dream… Like how you would go as far as to mess with Miki-chan's emotions and create a domino effect with it. It'd start with Miki-chan, and then it would hurt Gumi-chan, and then it would hurt Miku-chan, too."

Lily stiffened and paled at this new development in Luka's dream.

"But, it was just a dream," Luka laughed airily. "There's no way you could ever do something like that! Right?"

"Huh—Right!" Lily agreed a little too quickly. A forced, nervous laugh escaped her. "I'd never mess with them like that. That's just really messed up—"

"_Uso!_" Luka's light-hearted smile instantly vanished. The look she gave Lily was loaded with disappointment and distrust. "Liar… You did do that to them. That's _awful…_" She shook her head and turned her back to Lily. "I can't believe you would do something so low! Hurting Miki-chan by toying with her emotions… She's too sweet to ever deserve something like that."

"Wha—N-no—I—That's not—" Lily struggled to find the right words. But it was too late. She had been caught.

"And I can't believe you had the nerve to lie to me about it, too," Luka added furiously, as she snatched up a futon from the closet. She spun on her heels to glower at her best friend. "What's wrong with you? Why would you do that to them? Why would you _lie_ to me about something like that?"

"I—I didn't want you to be mad at me—"

"It's a little too late for that, Lily," the pink haired girl retorted, unable to hide the hurt in her voice. She walked past Lily, carrying the futon in her arms.

Lily chased after Luka, quickly falling into step with the other girl. "Look, Lu-chan, I know what I did was wrong," she said quickly, desperately. "It was wrong, and stupid, and horrible and all that! But—I'm sorry, okay? I shouldn't have done it—I didn't mean to hurt anyone—"

"How can you say that when you _wanted_ to hurt them…?"

"No—Just—It was only supposed to be Miku that got hurt!" Lily groaned. She realized that nothing she could say would appease the pink haired girl. After all, the objective of the plan was to hurt all three members of the Secret Police…

"_What?"_ The tone of disbelief in Luka's voice caused Lily to stop for a moment. The blonde shook her head and continued to walk beside Luka.

"Okay, that sounded really, _really_ bad, but—"

"No, Lily, it's horrible." The pinkette stopped outside of her bedroom, and stared at her childhood friend in disbelief. "I can't believe that what Miku-chan told me was true… I… I was hoping that if I managed to talk to you about it, you would be able to tell me that it wasn't… That maybe Miku-chan was making it up… But I can see that she told me the truth."

Lily grimaced, and her heart sank. "But, Lu-chan, I'm sorry. I really am. I'm really, really sorr—"

"You're only sorry you were caught," Luka said quietly, before she walked into her room and shut the door behind her.

The blonde could only stare at the closed door. She groaned, and pushed her overgrown bangs out back and puffed her cheeks up. There was no point in trying to defend herself at this point. She knew that Luka had every right to be upset with her.

"**FUCK YOU, YOU DRUNK BITCH!"**

"**BRING IT, YOU LITTLE—"**

"**NO! STOP! **_**KENKA SHINAIDE!**_** DON'T FIGHT!"**

_THUD!_

Lily whipped her head around and looked down the hall only to see….  
>"Aw, fuck!"<br>She took off in a sprint towards the group.

* * *

><p><strong>Half an Hour Ago…<strong>

"Th-thanks for walking with me," Miki sighed as she rubbed at her eyes. It was clear that she had been crying for a good portion of the day. Her heart had been crushed and her mind was let as a mess after hearing that Iroha had been a part of Lily's twisted plan. On either side of the ahoge'd girl were her two closest friends, who made up the remaining two thirds of the Secret Police. Miki felt much better knowing that they were all on reasonably good terms. The last week had been unbearable for her since she had been unable to communicate with neither the twin-tailed tealette or the snarky green haired girl. . But now that things were clear, the Secret Police was united once more, much to Miki's relief.

"Yeah, no problem," Gumi shrugged. She shoved her hands into the pockets of her sweatpants, since she had left her hoodie behind in her bedroom. The girl had decided that her white shirt and gray sweatpants would be enough if she was only escorting Miki to Luka's bedroom. "Uh… Miki-chan? You sure you don't wanna spend the night in my room? I mean.. It's cool that Luka-nee said she'd talk to you about everything, but you know you could talk to me."

"Oh, ah, th-thank you, Gumi-nee!" Miki smiled brightly at the slightly blushing green haired girl. "But I already told Luka-nee I would probably fall asleep after talking to her, so that's why I'm spending the night in her room," she explained, as she continued to walk down the hall. "Maybe we could have a sleepover another night?"

"Wha—Uh—s-sure…" Gumi was quick to look away as the blush quickly spread across her cheeks. Her emerald eyes happened to meet the gaze of a cheekily grinning tealette. Although Gumi hadn't seen such a genuine, cheeky expression on Miku's face, the green haired girl was certainly filled with a heavy dose of _"this bitch better not say anything."_

And, of course, Miku opened her mouth to speak."Kya! Gumi-chan! You want to spend the night with Miki-chan?" she asked, with a teasing edge to her voice. Her teal polished fingers covered her mouth and she mock gasped. "You two aren't a couple but you're asking her to spend the night? Ne, ne! Does that mean you're trying to steal her purity—ack!"

Gumi had reached behind Miki and tugged on one of Miku's pigtails. Hard. "_Baka iwanai deyo!"_ she snapped, her cheeks as red as the pair of goggles on her head. "Never, ever, speak again, you idiot."

Miki looked at the ill-humored green haired girl, and then at the tealette who was rubbing her head in pain. She promptly decided it was best not to ask the two older girls what had just happened. The only thing that she understood was that Miku had said something to irk Gumi. The only problem was that Miki had no idea what Miku had been getting at. "_Ano…_ I don't really understand what was wrong with Gumi-nee inviting me to spend the night in her room…" she said timidly, as she looked at Miku with wide, red eyes.

Gumi stiffened, and Miku smirked.

"Ne, ne! Miki-chan!" the tealette giggled and leaned forward to whisper into the younger girl's ear. "Let me explain—ah! Gumi-chaaaaan!" she whined when the green haired girl promptly shoved her towards a bedroom door with a blue sign on it.

"I thought you wanted to go talk to your _baka Nii-san_," Gumi hissed as she pushed Miku once more. "Go talk to Kaito-nii and leave us alone."

Miku gasped once more. "Leave you alone? With Miki-chan? You might try and—"

"_DAMARE!_" Gumi yanked open Kaito's bedroom door and kicked Miku into the older boy's bedroom. She slammed the door shut and looked back at Miki, who was staring with wide eyes. "Er… Don't worry about it, Miki-chan," she mumbled, as she strode down the hallway.

Miki quickly followed after Gumi, easily falling into step with the older girl. A smile was on her face when she realized that they were moving in sync, both moving the same leg at the same time. Although they were both walking in silence, the redhead was quite content. Even if they had nothing to say at the moment, being alone with Gumi was fine with her.

And it came as a surprise to her that Gumi was the first to break the silence. "Hey… Miki-chan…" the green haired girl began, as she looked at her petite companion from the corner of her eyes.

"Mm?"

"I'm…" Gumi paused, and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry for ignoring you and being all pissy and stuff." It was clear that she was uncomfortable about the topic that she had brought up, yet Miki remained silent. The redhead knew that Gumi had difficulties opening up to others to begin with. "So… Yeah. I just wanted to apologize."

"It's alright," Miki smiled up at Gumi, her expression was completely forgiving. "I'm just happy that we can talk like this again."

"Ah—Y-yeah, me too," the green haired girl stammered. "But—It's not okay. At all. I shouldn't have treated you that way, 'cause you didn't deserve it. The whole thing was stupid… It wasn't your fault that that stupid cat—Iroha kissed you or anythin'. So I had no reason to be mad at you… But damn, I was really pissed at Iroha for pulling that little stunt…" Gumi clenched her teeth and her emerald eyes narrowed at the very thought of the Sanrio Vocaloid.

Miki shook her head. "_Daijoubu,_ Gumi-nee," she replied. "Really, it's okay. I wasn't angry with you for ignoring me or anything like that. I was just upset that what happened made you stop talking to me… And I'm a little upset that all of us forgot about Lily-nee and Meiko-nee's plan." She sighed, and flicked her bangs away from her face so she could get a clear view of the tense girl that walked beside her. "I wasn't expecting it to really work so well… But they were smart in picking Iroha-senpai to mess us all up…"

The commander of the Secret Police nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's a good thing Miku managed to remember," she added. "And it's about time she told Luka-nee about that damned plan, too. But, hey—Don't worry about them. I'm gonna kick all of their asses," she promised, as she cracked her knuckles to emphasize her point. "Luka-nee, that drunken idiot, and Iroha-san."

"Eh? N-no!" Miki stammered quikly. "You don't need to—No! Don't fight them, that's bad," she protested. "I don't think Iroha-senpai would have really joined in on their plan, though… She—She mentioned something about being able to use the plan to get closer to someone she admired." There was a pause as she looked up at Gumi. "I… I can understand her reasoning, because I sort of did the same thing to get closer to you…"

Gumi was quiet for a moment before she sighed and shook her head. "I seriously don't get people like you… You guys make no sense…"

Miki smiled slightly, and shrugged her shoulders. "When you like someone, or even love them, you do things that don't make sense to anyone else except for you," she giggled at her own explanation. "People in love do crazy things."

The green haired girl had to stifle back a snort when she saw the expression on Miki's face. It seemed that the younger girl wholeheartedly believed in what she had said, and Gumi didn't have the heart to point out every flaw in her statement. "Yeah… I guess you're right," she coincided. Her emerald eyes glanced away from Miki when a door was unceremoniously thrown open, disturbing the somewhat tranquil atmosphere of their walk.

From the bedroom stumbled a brunette, a nearly empty bottle of sake clutched in one hand. One of the straps to her red tank top hung off of her shoulder, and her sweatpants appeared to be a size or two too big. Gumi assumed it was Kaito's…

"Oi!" Meiko pressed one hand against the wall of the hallway, forcing herself upright. She glowered at Gumi. With the hand that held her personal brand of liquid heroine, she pointed a finger at the green haired girl. "I _hate_ you." Her words were slurred, and her cheeks rosy.  
>Already wasted and it wasn't even midnight.<p>

Gumi rolled her eyes, and came to a halt a few meters away from the intoxicated woman. "Yeah? That's fan-freaking-tastic," she retorted. "Because, right now, I hate you, too."

"No, I really hate you," the brunette continued, as she took a swig from the bottle. "So much. You're just a little brat, and you're always all pissy. Seriously, it's like you have a stick shoved up your—"

"M-Meiko-nee!" Miki interjected, horrified that the older girl would use such coarse language.

"Great to hear, you drunken bitch," Gumi hissed back. "I really hate people like you. You pick fights with people for no reason, and expect the whole world to bow before you just because you want it to happen. And then you had the nerve to try and fuck us all over with that damned plan of yours! What happens with Lily-nee, Luka-nee, and Miku-chan has _nothing_ to do with you. You throwing Iroha-san in there to fuck with Miki-chan, Miku-chan and myself…" She stopped herself, and shook her head, her hands clenched into fists. "You had no right to do that."

"What?" Meiko snickered. "I had no right to get involved? You and Miki-chan did the same thing, didn't you? Involving yourself in their little love triangle? No one _asked_ you to try and help Miku-chan. You're the one that set Luka-chan and Miku-chan up on their date to begin with, right?"

Gumi flinched at this. That was true. She had been the one to come up with the idea for creating the E-Harmony accounts…

"I thought it'd only be fair if I tried to even up the playing field for Lily-chan." Meiko brought the bottle to her lips and emptied it of its contents. "If anything, I bet getting involved was just for your own benefit, right? Right?"

"What?" The green haired girl stared at the intoxicated girl.

Meiko smirked. "Think about it. I bet you joined in in all of this 'cause of Miku-chan. If things ended up going bad between Miku-chan and Luka-chan, you'd be right there to pick Miku-chan up when she needed someone," she explained, with another snicker. "Wait until things go bad, and then take the girl. Right?"

Miki glanced up at Gumi, a worried look on her face. This conversation had taken a deadly turn. "G-Gumi-nee, let's just go.. Luka-nee's room is just down the hall—"

"What the _fuck_ are you trying to say, Meiko?" Gumi hissed, as she stepped forward, away from Miki. "Are you seriously trying to pick a fight right now?"

"Nope, just tellin' it how I see it," Meiko replied. She took a few, uneasy, steps forward, and continued to give Gumi that condescending smirk. "But you really lucked out, huh? 'Cause if Miku-chan rejected you again, you'd already have Miki-chan waiting. 'Cause everyone knows how much she likes you, so it'd be easy for you to just turn around and take Miki-chan," she sang. "You thought it all out. If you can't get the head bitch, go for the bottom bitch, right—"

"**FUCK YOU, YOU DRUNK BITCH!**" Gumi roared before she hurled herself at Meiko, exuding an aura of fury and blood lust.

The pair fell to the ground, and the bottle fell from Meiko's hand and onto the carpet. Thankfully, the plush carpet softened the fall, allowing the bottle to fall in one piece.

"**BRING IT, YOU LITTLE—"** Meiko shouted back, as they began to roll on the ground, exchanging blows.

Miki let out a shriek and desperately tried to stop the pair. "**NO! STOP! **_**KENKA SHINAIDE! **_**DON'T FIGHT!"** Her words were lost on the pair, for they instantly shoved Miki away when she tried to place their hands on them.

Both Gumi and Meiko were throwing their fists at every open spot that they could find. As unfair as an advantage as it was, Gumi had come into the fight already knowing some sort of fighting style, kickboxing. As for Meiko… She was simply winging it and fighting by instinct. Albeit, those fighting instincts were not the most fair way of fighting.

Meiko bit down on Gumi's shoulder, and tugged at the longer strands of her green hair. The more Gumi squirmed, the harder Meiko bit. The brunette refused to release Gumi, and continued to pull on her hair with one hand, while repeatedly punching Gumi's ribcage with the other.

"Fuck—"Gumi shifted, and slammed her fist into the side of the brunette's head, forcing the girl off of her. She sat on Meiko's stomach, and launched a barrage of punches at Meiko's face and torso. "I." _Punch._ "Fucking." _Punch. _"Hate—oof!"

The drunken brunette had managed to knock aside Gumi's flying fists, and threw a sucker punch right at her jaw. The force knocked Gumi onto her back. A triumphant grin was on Meiko's face as she kept Gumi pinned down to the floor.

"STOP! SOMEONE HELP!" Miki continued to shriek. When she received no response, she frantically ran towards a certain bedroom.

Gumi was quick to knock Meiko off of her by ramming her knee into the brunette's stomach. For added measure, she punched Meiko in the face, successfully knocking the older girl down on her back. With a grunt, she snatched up the empty bottle of sake, and tackled Meiko. Her arm was raised as she prepared to smash the glass bottle onto Meiko's head. "Lights out—wha?" Before she could bring her arm down, someone had managed to grasp her wrist to stop her. "Let go-.. FUCK YOU!"

Lily had her hand tightly wrapped around Gumi's wrist. "That might've killed her, Gumi," she said, before she pulled the green haired girl off of the groaning Meiko.

"NO! FUCK YOU! LET GO OF ME!" Gumi hissed, as she pulled her arm away from Lily. She waved the glass bottle in front of her, keeping the blonde away from herself. Strong arms forced her own arms to her side as she was caught in a vice-like embrace. "WHO THE HELL—NII-SAN?" She glared up at her purple haired cousin, who frowned down at her. "LET ME GO, _BAKA NII-SAN!"_

Gakupo shook his head, and kept his younger cousin in his grasp. Lily reached over and pulled the empty bottle out of Gumi's grip. "Miki-chan told me there was a fight," Gakupo explained to Gumi calmly. He pulled his cousin back, making sure there was some space between his raging cousin and the drunken brunette. "She went to go get everyone else because she was scared to break up the fight—Speak of the devil."

Behind Lily came the remaining residents of the Vocaloid mansion who were led by Miki, save for the Kagamine twins, who were already fast asleep in their bedroom. Kaito, Luka, and Miku all stared at Lily, Meiko, and the struggling Gumi and Gakupo.

"What in the world happened…?" Luka gasped, when she realized that Gumi had a black eye, and Meiko's nose was bleeding profusely.

Miki sighed, and ran her fingers through her hair. "I—I told you, they got into a fight," she mumbled, as she quickly scurried over to Gumi's side. She reached up and gently placed her hand on the green haired girl's cheek as she looked over the quickly darkening bruise. Without speaking, she ran her thumb over the bruise, and grimaced when she realized just how large it was.

Gumi flinched. As soon as Miki came close, she ceased to struggle against her older cousin. It was as if the younger girl was a tranquilizer for the fuming green haired girl. "Geez—Miki, that kinda fucking hurts," she muttered, as she shut her bruised eye.

"S-Sorry…" Miki apologized, as she withdrew her hand. Her cheeks were flushed, but she looked away from Gumi and glanced over at the others.

"Geez, Mei-chan, you shouldn't go picking fights." The blue haired boy looked down at his groaning girlfriend, who was curled up in a ball on the carpeted floor. With a sigh, Kaito threw his girlfriend over his shoulder. He grunted as he shifted her slightly so it would be more comfortable for him to carry her. "Thanks for letting me know what was going on, Miki-chan," Kaito sighed, as he turned around to head back to his room.  
>The drunken girl on his back groaned, and clutched onto the back of his shirt as he headed into his room.<p>

The remaining five Vocaloids stood in the hallway in silence. It was uncomfortable, for Gakupo, Luka, and Lily wanted to ask the still angry green haired girl what had happened. While Miki knew what had taken place, she felt like it was not her place to speak about the situation at hand.

With a sigh, Gakupo was the first to break the tense silence. "Gumi-chan, let's go."

"Eh? No! I'm fine, Nii-san, let go of me—"

"We're leaving," He snapped, as he dragged his younger cousin to his room. "I think we need to talk."

Gumi continued to protest, shouting out "No!" and "Let me go!" until the door slammed shut behind the pair of cousins.

Miki stared at the closed door, and then looked back at Lily, Luka, and Miku. "Ano… W-will Gumi-nee be okay?" she asked, looking more than a little worried. The two drastically different expressions she received only heightened her fear. "M-Maybe—Maybe I should go talk to her—"

Both the pink haired and teal haired girls had given her a weary smile. Luka shook her head. "I think she'll be alright, Miki-chan," she replied. "There's no need for you to worry."  
>Miku nodded in agreement with Luka's reply.<p>

Lily, on the other hand, had frowned at Miki's question. She kept her mouth shut, jaw clenched tightly.

"Ah… O-okay," Miki said quietly. She slid into place beside Luka, and clutched onto the pink haired girl's shirt. "C-can we go to your room now and talk? Please…?"

"Of course, Miki-chan," Luka replied. The older girl was quick to lead the stressed red head towards her bedroom. Before the pair of more timid girls disappeared into the room, Luka turned to glance back at Lily and Miku. "_Oyasumi nasai._" She said, before she went into the room and closed the door behind Miki.

"Goodnight, Luka-senpai!"

"'Night, Lu-chan…"

When the door clicked shut, both Lily and Miku immediately stared at one another. The taller of the two folded her arms across her chest, a very angry expression on her face. The younger had a blank face, her teal eyes looking over the silently fuming blonde before her.

With a sigh, Miku decided to break the silence. "They wouldn't have had a fight if you didn't make that plan, you know," she said pointedly, her lips turning down into a frown. She mimicked Lily's pose and folded her own arms across her chest apprehensively.

"What!" Lily growled and narrowed her eyes. "This isn't my fault!"

"It might as well be!" Miku argued. "If you didn't make that plan, Gumi-chan wouldn't have had a reason to argue with Meiko-nee! What you did was wrong, Lily-nee. You shouldn't have used the twins to find our weaknesses… That's so low…"

Lily stiffened a bit, and turned her head away so she wouldn't have to stare at the upset tealette. "Tch… I had to do what I had to do," she stated matter-of-factly. "'Love is war', right?"

"Don't use my own song against me," the tealette was bitter. She continued to glare up at the older girl. "I can't believe you would hurt my _friends_ to try and mess with me! If you wanted to mess with me, then do something to hurt _me_ and _only_ me!" She took a few steps closer, so her face was now in front of Lily's. Despite their height difference, Miku was still able to maintain her glower. "That's probably one of the most coward-like tactics to use!" Her hands dropped to her sides as her hands clenched into fists out of frustration. "I can't believe you of all people would try and pull something like that—"

"All's fair in love and war," Lily interjected. "'_I'll make sure I'll grab your attention, I'll go and break it up'_" The blonde continued to quote Miku's famous song. "Right? That's exactly what I did. Besides, you're the one that sang the song—"

"That has nothing to do with what we're talking about!" Miku was exasperated. "Stop quoting my song!"

Lily shrugged. "Stop being a brat and let me have Lu-chan."

"No."

"Yes."

"No!" Miku stared at Lily. "Do you really think you could build a relationship without any trust? Luka-senpai knows what you did, and she couldn't believe it—"

"You told her!" Luka snapped back, as she turned her head to meet those teal eyes. "You didn't have to tell her anything, and things would've worked out fine for me." Her tone was acidic, and she drew herself up to her full height. "Don't try and act like you wouldn't have done something crazy to have Lu-chan all to yourself."

Miku shook her head and took a step back in disbelief. "Oh my God—What would I have done, Lily-nee?" she asked, as she frowned up at her. "What could I have possibly done that would have been so underhanded that it would have started World War III in our own home?"

Lily opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it. She stood there, and struggled to find something snarky to say. The truth of the matter was, she couldn't come up with a proper answer. Lily couldn't think of a single thing that Miku might have done to hurt her for the sole purpose of becoming closer to Luka. "I… I don't know…" she mumbled in defeat.

"Exactly…" Miku sighed, and looked away from Lily, her temper subsiding. "What you did was wrong… You shouldn't play with people's emotions like that…"

There it was again. That same _damned_ line that Lily had heard from Iroha was now being repeated by her own _rival._  
>"Whatever," Lily snapped. "Your friends shouldn't have gotten themselves involved in this, anyway. If they didn't get involved, there wouldn't have been a plan, and no one would've gotten hurt."<p>

Miku was quiet for a moment, but she nodded in agreement. "I know they shouldn't have been involved, but they wanted to. I never asked them to," she replied. "They did it because that's what friends do. They keep your best interests at heart…" She paused and looked back at Lily, a sorrowful expression painted onto her face. "Speaking of friends… You're Luka-senpai's best friend. You should be trying to keep her best interests in mind, too… But after this, it seems like you've only hurt her." The tealette turned her back to Lily and began to walk down the hallway. "At least I tried to look out for _my_ best friends…" Without another word, she strode down the hallway, heading towards the wing of the mansion that housed the younger Vocaloids.

Lily stood in the middle of the hallway, speechless. She clenched her teeth, and headed back towards her room. "Damn that Miku…" she hissed under her breathe.

First, she was lectured by a wanna-be Cheshire Cat. And now she was lectured by her rival. What next? Was Meiko the eternal drunk suddenly going to have a change of heart and start preaching about repenting for past sins?

Lily, lost in thought, bumped into a figure blocking her doorway. Her deep blue eyes snapped up and were met by golden orbs.

"Iroha…"

"Nyaa~" Nekomura Iroha yawned, and smiled at the frustrated blonde. She rubbed at her eyes with the back of one hand. "Lily-chaaaaan!"

The blonde wanted to groan, but she kept her complaints to herself. "Did you—"

"Yup. I saw everything. Maybe not _everything_, but the fight, yes." Sanrio's Vocaloid smiled at Lily, and leaned against the doorframe. "I think we might need to talk again, ne?"

"Yeah…"

* * *

><p>The two cousins sat on the bed, albeit opposite sides of the bed. The younger of the two had her arms folded across her chest, glaring at her purple haired <em>Nii-san<em>. Said _Nii-san_ was calm and composed, carefully watching over his younger cousin.

"Gumi-chan—" Gakupo began to speak.

"_Damare!"_

He sighed, and shook his head. "Why can't you just tell me what exactly happened between you and Meiko-san?" Gakupo asked, a slight frown on his face.

"_Yokei na osewa da!"_ Gumi glared at him, emerald eyes narrowed. "Seriously, Nii-san! It's none of your business."

"It is my business if you were going to send her to the hospital!" He exclaimed. "I don't understand why you would try and _smash_ a glass bottle on her head! There's no reason for trying to injure someone in such a way." His purple eyes were stern, and he couldn't fathom how his younger cousin could even consider causing such physical harm to a person.

Gumi snorted and turned her head away from him. "You don't get it," she said flatly. "I can't stand Baka Meiko."

"…Baka… Meiko?" Gakupo repeated, a bead of sweat rolling down the side of his head.

"Yeah. I refuse to call her 'Meiko-nee'," she replied, her tone icy. "She should've just minded her own damned business instead of getting involved. That drunken bitch should just die—"

"Gumi-chan!"

"What?" Gumi whipped her head around and went back to glaring at Gakupo. "She's the worst. A coward that uses dirty tactics to fight. She messed with Miki-chan and Miku-chan. That's unforgivable."

Gakupo rubbed at his eyes and sighed wearily. "I admire that you're loyal to your friends. But that loyalty is loyalty without reason… You need to think before you act."

The green haired girl rolled her eyes. "I don't care what you call it. I look out for my friends," Gumi stated. "You wanna know what happened right?"

"Yes. Yes, I do, actually."

"Okay, here's the jist of it. She's a sneaky, little bitch that said things that weren't any of her business. Baka Meiko was talking a lot of trash and it pissed me off," Gumi's explanation was quick and to the point.

"So you were going to smash an empty bottle of sake onto her head?"

"Yup."

The long haired man groaned. "Violence isn't always the best answer to everything."

"It is when Baka Meiko's involved…"

Gakupo stared at his younger cousin. "No… You need to realize that that sort of actions can get you into trouble in the future," he reprimanded Gumi. "That aside, how do you think Miki-chan felt when she saw you throw yourself into that fight? Don't you think she was extremely worried about you?"

Gumi opened her mouth to come back with a snarky reply, but instantly closed it when she realized that Gakupo was probably right. Of course Miki would panic. After all, Miki was the one who had run off to find help…

When his younger cousin failed to rebuttal his statement, Gakupo smiled. "See? You can't make Miki-chan worry like that," he said gently, glad to see that realization had taken a hold of Gumi.

"Er… Yeah…" Gumi mumbled. "She even checked on my black eye…" The girl raised a hand to her cheek and gingerly ran them along the black and blue bruise.

"Right, right," Gakupo nodded earnestly, relieved that his cousin was calm now. "You're obviously very important to her." The smile on his face widened as he leaned towards his cousin. "And clearly, she's important to you."

"Eh—Uh—What—" Gumi stumbled over her words, her cheeks suddenly flushing. She mentally slapped herself for stammering like a love struck middle schooler. "No—"

"It's okay, Gumi-chan," Gakupo laughed. "I think the two of you would be quite good together. You balance one another out perfectly, I think."

The green haired girl rolled her eyes and stood up. "Yeah, well…. Thanks…" Gumi crossed the room, and was quick to take her leave. Having her _cousin_ of all people talk to her about who she should date was quite embarrassing.

Her purple haired cousin was chuckling to himself as he stretched out onto the bed. "Maybe Miki-chan's the only one that can fix up Gumi-chan," Gakupo said to himself, as he shut his eyes.

* * *

><p>"Ne, ne, ne!" Iroha purred as she sank down into the armchair, a blanket wrapped comfortably around her shoulders. Her golden eyes watched the blonde sprawl out on the couch. "Lily-chaaan~ What are we going to talk about?" she asked, feigning ignorance.<p>

Lily buried her face into one of the couch pillows. "Everything."

"Mm… Okay, but that's a pretty broad topic—"

"Don't play stupid."

"Ah, _gomen ne!"_ Iroha chuckled. "But, ah, let's see… What exactly happened?" She brought her legs up to her chest, and hugged them. The knowing, almost mocking, smirk was back on her face as she stared at Lily intently.

The blonde let out a frustrated shout into the pillow. "I fucked up," was her muffled reply.

Iroha blinked a few times, and tilted her head slightly to one side. "Nya, really, really?" she asked, a brow raised.

"Yup. Lu-chan found out about the whole thing and she's pissed…" Lily answered. "I hate it… I think she doesn't trust me or something. What the heck am I supposed to do? 'Cause now everyone's mad at me and shit!"

The catlike girl remained respectfully silent, allowing the blonde to continue to vent.

"I'm just pissed that Miku-chan told Lu-chan about it… I didn't think she was gonna do that," the blonde continued. "And then that teal bit—"

"Language."

"… That teal… Teal… Whatever! Miku-chan just sucks! She even had the nerve to lecture me!" She groaned, as she lifted her head up from the pillow. "I wanted to stranle her on the spot."

"Why didn't you?" Iroha asked impishly.

"Wha—" Lily stared at Iroha. "Did you just—"

The ponytailed, pale pink haired girl raised a hand up, and smiled slightly. "I was kidding."

"… Okay… But—Geez! Now Lu-chan's all mad at me…" Lily repeated once more, as she put her head back down on the pillow. She was just so frustrated. The whole situation _sucked._ And it was something that she was not in the mood to deal with. It was just too much for her. All she wanted was to claim Luka for her own. Right?

Iroha shook her head and rested her chin on the caps of her knees. "I don't think that's what you want, Lily-chan," she mused, as if she were a psychic. "You know, when I first met you, I really admired you. You were light hearted, and you were protective of everyone, especially Luka-san. You weren't selfish, and you had everyone's best interests at heart. Even when you were teasing everyone, you were able to stop and show everyone the best of yourself." She paused, and closed her eyes. "But… It's different now. Your actions only benefit yourself, but they hurt others…"

Lily was silent.

"It's kind of sad…" Iroha added. "But, the more I think about it, the more I realize that you're just jealous, ne?"

"Jealous?" Lily repeated in disbelief. "No… I _like_ her."

"Are you sure?" Iroha asked. "I think you're blind is all. It's like I said before. You always had Luka-san there. She's your best friend, and you've known her since you were kids, right?"

"Right…"

"So it would make sense for you to feel jealous that she can spend time with someone else and be happy," the cat like girl continued. She opened her eyes, and stood up. "Maybe I can see that because I'm not involved in this, er, love triangle. But sometimes it seems like you're just trying to keep Luka-san all to yourself, and not in a romantic way. More or less a possessive way." Iroha crossed the room and sat on the couch, beside Lily, on the little space left available. "Do you know what you want?"

"I want you to shut up."

At this, Iroha laughed, and began to pet Lily on the head. "Nya~ the little puppy doesn't know what she wants, ne?" she cooed. "Poor little puppy is as lost as ever, stuck between love or friendship. Maybe not even love."

Lily snorted. "You don't know what you're saying."

The cat shrugged and looked down at Lily, the smile remaining on her face. "I know a lot more than I let on, you know," she replied. "I'm not as dumb as everyone thinks, ne?"

"Whatever…"

"Ne, ne, puppy-chan!" Iroha giggled. "You're so cute."

Lily felt her cheeks flush, and she glared up at Iroha. "Look, you—Just stop messing with my head, oaky?" she frowned. "Things are already confusing enough, and I don't need you to add to the confusion. Just.. Just leave me alone."

Iroha raised a brow. "I wasn't going to tell anyone."

"I said leave me alone."

"Or what?"

"Or I'll—I'll… I'll throw you into the pound, you damned cat," Lily snapped, her tone icy.

At this, Iroha blinked a few times in confusion. "The pound?" she repeated. "But you can't do that unless I was your cat-… Oh…" she smiled. "I didn't know I was your cat~"

"What—That's not what I meant!"

"Nyaaa~ I can be your kitty if you really want me to~" Iroha purred, as she stretched out beside Lily on the couch. "Pu~py~cha~n~."

The blonde rolled her eyes, and laid on her side, her back to the smirking cat. "Shut up. Just let me sleep in peace."

"Shouldn't you sleep on the bed, then?"

"…Just shut up and go to sleep if you're spending the night."

"Ne, ne… All jokes aside, it seems like you have a lot of fixing to do, ne? With Luka-san, Miku-chan, Gumi-chan and Miki-chan," Iroha giggled, and got off of the couch. She made her way to the bed, and crawled under the blankets. "_Oyasumi, watashi no koinu-chan~_" she purred before throwing the blankets over her head.

Lily rolled her eyes. "_I'm not her puppy,"_ she thought to herself. She sighed, and buried her face into the pillow as she mused over the words of the catlike girl. It was hard for her to accept Iroha's words. Once more, she had heard the truth come from Nekomura Iroha's mouth. It was too much to comprehend at one time.  
>Was it true? Was she really only jealous that Luka could be happy with someone other than herself? But if it were true, what sort of jealousy was it, then? Romantic jealousy? Or just a "hey-that's-my-best-friend" sort of jealousy?<p>

She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. This was becoming ridiculous. How could she mistake the feelings of liking someone with raging jealousy?

Why was Iroha the one to point all of this out to her?

What the hell was up with that cat girl anyway?

And how the _hell_ was she supposed to fix things with Luka, let alone Miku, Gumi and Miki?

Lily let out a frustrated sigh. She decided to let these thoughts subside, and allow exhaustion to lull her to sleep.

* * *

><p>The two most rational residents of the Vocaloid mansion were in the bi-lingual pinkette's bedroom. The younger of the pair was setting out her futon. Her ahoge bounced as she spread the sheets out and proceeded to fluff her pillow.<p>

"Luka-nee?" Furukawa Miki began timidly. "Was I being a coward by running away from the fight?" The thought had been nagging at her since they had returned to Luka's room.

Luka, who had thrown her hair up into a loose bun, sat up in her bed. She gripped the bed sheets and shook her head at the younger girl. "No, I don't think you were being a coward," she answered. "You wanted to only stop the fight, but you weren't able to get them to listen to you, right?"

Miki nodded.

"Then you did the right thing by finding people who could help you stop the fight," Luka pressed on. "Don't blame yourself for anything that happened—"

"No, that's—That's not true," Miki bit down on her bottom lip, and focused her ruby eyes on the pillow in her hands. "Gumi-nee only became extremely upset because Meiko-nee said something about me…" She sighed, and hugged the pillow tightly. "Gumi-nee was already angry because Meiko-nee had been talking badly about Gumi-nee and Miku-nee. So when Meiko-nee began to talk about me, I think Gumi-nee just…"

"Lost it?" Luka offered.

"Y-yeah," the redhead sighed, and plopped down onto her side. She closed her eyes and sniffled. "I'm just so weak… If I was stronger, or braver, I could have.. Maybe… I could have stopped the fight, and neither of them would have gotten hurt," Miki continued.

The older girl shook her head. "Miki-chan, that isn't true. None of that could have been avoided… You shouldn't think such things about yourself," she said. "It isn't healthy for you to take the blame for others actions. That aside, it would have been dangerous for you to throw yourself into the middle of the fight. I don't think Gumi-chan and Meiko-san would have been able to focus on anything other than their fight. Don't worry about anything, Miki-chan. It isn't your fault at all, and you certainly did the right thing by finding us."

Miki buried her face into the pillow . "Mm.. Y-yeah… You're right," she said, with a small smile on her face. The girl crawled under the blanket of the futon and tucked the pillow beneath her head. "Thank you, Luka-nee…"

Luka smiled, relieved that it had been so easy to make the younger girl feel better. She laid back down, and shut her eyes.

"Ano, Luka-nee?"

"Mm?"

"I'm sorry you had to find out about Lily-nee's plan that way," the younger girl sympathized. "We didn't know what exactly she was going to do, but, still… I'm sorry. I still think Lily-nee is a good person, deep down… But it just seems like she's… Lost."

Luka was quiet. She frowned a little bit, and sighed. "It seems that way, huh?"

Miki nodded even though she knew the older girl couldn't see her. "Yes… But, ah, what are you going to do now? About Lily-nee and Miku-nee?" she asked. "Do you know who you want to be with, or—or what?"

Once more, Luka was at a loss for words. "I don't know, Miki-chan, I don't know…" With that, she rolled onto her side and turned off the lamp on her nightstand.

* * *

><p><strong>Note: <strong>And that's the end of chapter 20. Yes, like I said last chapter, the end is drawing near! I hope that all of you will be able to continue to stay with me until the end of this emotional roller coaster that I call a fanfiction. XD;;

_Replies to the Reviewers:_

_Meislovely:_ Ah, Kuro, I'm glad you're able to take care of Shiro. Please, continue to watch over her. (^^;;)b Anyway, I'd like to thank you two for reading the story and reviewing! :D I love you guys! And your friends! The lot of you are hilarious, and it's just nice to know that you both enjoy the story!

_Lovecakes98:_ Hey there! Haven't seen you review in a while, but I'm glad to see that you've been reading SoL! (^^) It's nice to see you again! I grinned at the idea of this becoming a J-Drama. That would be one intense show, I think! Maybe you can find a song worthy of being the theme to it! Thanks for your support!

_PaperCutVictim:_ If you're going to hurl a fridge at someone please aim it away from me. XD;; Gumi can be quite intense when she wants to be. And Iroha and Lily? To be honest, that might have been my favorite section to write in chapter 19. XD;; I'm not sure why that's so, but I had fun writing it! That all said… Did you hear any war drums with this chapter?

_Blodh Skolir: _Ah man. That quote sounds like a perfect fit for this chapter, huh? Thank you for reading an reviewing!

_LukaFan: _Whoa! I think I actually heard a demanding voice telling me to go and write this chapter! Haha! Yeah, SoL is going to end within a few chapters, I think. But ah… Another story? :P I'm actually working on the prequel for SoL, called "Matryoshka!". It focuses on Gumi and Miku's relationship prior to SoL. And after that I'm planning on writing a K-ON! Fanfiction, but I'm not sure if you like K-ON! ? It made me happy to "hear" you ask if I was going to write some more! ;w; Kyaaa! Thank you for your support!

_Masaru2509:_ Thank you for your support! I hope this chapter was able to meet your expectations.

_Mr Kat is hot_: Like before, I'd like to tell you that no offense is taken! Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, so I completely understand if you don't like Miku. I'm glad to see that you're still reading the story. Thanks!

_Major Mike Powell III: _Oh man! That was one strongly felt review! I wonder how this chapter would make you feel, then… Thanks for your support, though!

_Pleasure: _Ah! A new reviewer! ;w; I love seeing reviews from people who haven't reviewed my story before! It always makes me smile! Thank you for the review, and for reading SoL!

_Rocketman182: _That's one of the nicest things I've ever read. Thank you so much! ;w; You're so nice!

_Chaser Neos: _Thank you! Glad to hear that you enjoy the story, even if it's become quite dramatic… Regardless, thank you for reading and reviewing!

_Jak656: _I don't mind if it took you a day or so to review! I'm just glad to see a review from you. It means a lot that you're consistent with these reviews… And that you've been supporting my story throughout the past two months! I can honestly say that your review made me giggle when I read "Ahahaha (evil laugh)" XP. Thank you for your support!

_Neko-Kath-01:_ First and foremost, don't worry about your English! I know you've told me that you were a little worried about your English, and I want you to know that it's perfectly fine! There were a few errors here and there, but I was still able to understand you. (^^) That being said, I was quite surprised to see such a long review. I can honestly say that this is the longest review that anyone has ever left for my story. And I love how in depth it is. It was interesting and pleasant to read! I love having an insight on what my readers are feeling and thinking about the story! Honestly, Gumi is my favorite character in this story as well. (^^;;) I'm not sure why, but I think it's because I sort of gave her my own personality? But, ah. I don't try to be sadistic. LOL It just turns out that I write a lot of… sad parts. OTL Whoops. I didn't realize how dramatic the story had become until I re-read the entire story the other day. I really surprised myself with how big of a turn the story has taken; it's different from my original plan. But I'm glad to see that you and so many others enjoy it! ;w; Thank you for your support, and your incredible review!

.

Thank you all for your support. It really means a lot to read all of your reviews. It really makes my day! :D The other day I had a bad day, but coming back to see all of the reviews saying how much you all were anticipating chapter 20 made me smile. It was nice to see that you were all anxiously awaiting this chapter. Really made my day!

I would like to let all of you know now that there will be a delay with this next chapter. x_x I have a huge Japanese exam coming up.. on writing/reading, speaking, and listening. OTL I really need to study for it, or rather, the vocabulary for it. As well as catch up on some reading for my Sociology and Psychology courses. I'm very sorry for the delay! But hopefully I can get it up within a week or two!

So, once more, I'd like to thank you all for the support. Please, continue to join me for the last set of chapters for SoL! (^^)b

Take care!


	21. 1925

**Slice of Life**

**Chapter 20 – 1925**

OTL I'm so sorry for the delay in updating this story… Aside from the fact that I had to study for my Japanese exam, I ended up getting carried away with planning out all three of my current works. It started off with planning out a few rough (and boy, do I mean _rough_) outlines for the remaining chapters of SoL… And then it led to rough outlines and drafts for Matryoshka!... And then rough outlines and drafts for Tsubasa wo Kudasai.

I made this chapter longish to make up for the delay.

And before I knew it, I had three different word documents running, my Moleskine idea notebook filled (I had to run out and get another one) with notes for all three works, and a major headache. XD; Needless to say, I'm ready to continue writing! That is… Until my next exam comes up for another class.

Also. Insomnia is back. And it sucks.

BUT, I'll save the rest of what I have to say in my ending author's note.  
>So… Please, enjoy this next chapter!<p>

**Disclaimer: **Vocaloids? Me? No, I don't own them.

* * *

><p><strong><em>｢<em>_Oh, such a pitiful motion  
>Wearing out my tension<br>It works, it works, better than I thought…__｣_**

"Miki-neesama! _Miki-neesama!_" the distinct voice of one of the resident twins was slowly pulling Miki from her deep sleep. _Onee-sama?_ That term of supreme respect was the only thing that the sleeping redhead was groggily able to comprehend before she was pounced on by the elder Kagamine twin. With a groan, she slowly opened her red eyes, unsurprised to see Rin's blue eyes staring back at her, wide-eyed.

Rin was grinning from ear to ear, and her blonde hair was quite messy. Miki could only assume that the twins had just woken up. "Did you really see Gumi-nee kick box the crap outta Meiko-nee?" the blonde girl asked, her words rushed together. "I bet Gumi-nee really gave it to Meiko-nee—"

"Rin-chan…" Miki began slowly, as she closed her eyes, and pressed one hand over her right eye. She laced her fingers into her red bangs.

"Yeah, Miki-neesama?"

"H-how did you know I was sleeping here?" It was surprising that the twins knew she would be in Luka's room. After all, they had fallen asleep during last night's hectic events. And though her eyes may be closed, it was easy to picture the look of excitement on Rin's angelic face. The sight was something that Miki had grown accustomed to. And sadly enough, she had also grown accustomed to the obscene amount of chaos and mischief that this angelic looking blonde could cause if she were allowed to run rampant. "I don't think I told you I would be in Luka-nee's room…"

"Eh? Oh, Gumi-nee told me. She was heading to the kitchen to get some ice from the freezer," Rin answered dismissively, as if the information were boring news. "She said something about wanting to fight Meiko-nee again. So I asked what she meant by again, and she just said she got into a fight yesterday. Which is so FREAKING COOL!" The young girl couldn't contain her excitement. "Gumi-nee's so awesome! I didn't think anyone would ever get in a fight with Meiko-nee!"

Miki opened her uncovered eye to look up at Rin. "Mm? But if she's so awesome, how come you don't want me to date her?" she asked, amazed that Rin failed to see the flaws in her own logic. But somehow, Miki wasn't surprised that Rin's thought process made no sense. Rin did have a pretty one track sort of mind.

At this the blonde folded her arms across her chest and puffed her cheeks out. "Because you're my _Onee-sama_. I don't want to share you with anyone else," she muttered, acting as if she were a child. "If you ended up dating Gumi-nee, Len and I would barely see you. And I like getting to see you whenever I want to." Her sapphire eyes met Miki's ruby ones, and it was clear from the flustered expression painted on Rins face that the blonde was a little uncomfortable about being so open with the elder girl. "It only matters so much 'cause you've been like a real big sister to me and Len. So if you started ditching us for Gumi-nee, then we'd be kinda lonely. Plus we wouldn't have a lot of sleepovers 'cause you'd probably end up staying in Gumi-nee's room. And you're the only one that doesn't really get mad or anything when we pull a prank." There was a short pause as Rin scowled and her tone became very serious. "Plus, I don't want Gumi-nee to hurt you the way Iroha-nee did last year. At least Iroha-nee didn't live with us, so it was easier for me and Len to get you to forget about her… But since we live with Gumi-nee, it'd be harder for us to make you the happy _Onee-sama_ that you usually are… If Gumi-nee hurts you or if she's just playing games…" Her hands clenched into fists, tightly gripping onto Miki's nightshirt.

The redhead smiled slightly, touched by the young Vocaloid's concern. She sat up, and shook her head. "Rin-chan—"

"So, uh, yeah! That's why I don't want you to date Gumi-nee!" Rin said quickly, her expression now guarded. The blonde surprised herself with how much she had opened up to Miki just now. The only personwho knew why she was so opposed to Miki dating Gumi was her brother, and even then she had to threaten Len to keep his mouth shut. "Okay? You got that? It's not because I don't want you to be happy or anything. I just don't want you to get hurt—Huh?"

Miki had wrapped her arms around Rin and pulled her into a tight hug. "Thank you, Rin-chan," she said quietly, eyes closed. "You're a good _imouto-chan_, you know. Growing up, I was an only child, so I never knew what it was like to have a little brother or sister. But then I came here and met you and Len-kun. And I was just so lucky that I was able to meet the both of you!" She giggled when she recalled how the twins had immediately latched themselves to her side when she entered the mansion for the first time, declaring that Miki was their sister. "Since then, every day has been so much fun. I love you and Len-kun very much. So you won't have to worry about me leaving you two! I would never do that, because you two are family now." The ahoge'd girl leaned back and gave Rin a wide, warm smile. "You're my little sister, and nothing will change that." Her ruby eyes opened and she giggled. "Don't you ever forget that I love you, okay, _imouto-chan_?"

The blonde girl stared at Miki, cheeks flushed. The corners of her eyes were stinging with fresh tears, and Rin was quick to wipe them away. "Wh-wh—… I love you, too," she mumbled. "And I'm not '_imouto-chan'_. That's Len," she corrected grumpily, while she squirmed out of Miki's embrace. Rin stood up and folded her arms across her chest, looking quite embarrassed about how genuine Miki had been.

"Sorry, sorry!" Miki laughed, the smile still on her face. Absentmindedly, she ran her fingers through her hair, pushing back her bangs. "But as for Gumi-nee… I appreciate that you're worried about me. It's nice to know that you're only trying to look out for me," she added. "But I don't think you'd have to worry about Gumi-nee hurting me. She isn't the type of person to play games with people."

"Yeah, but what if she-!"

"She won't," Miki insisted, her voice firm. "I know she won't."

Rin scowled. "How would you know?" she retorted, sounding every bit like a child throwing a tantrum.

"Because she fought Meiko-nee over that," Miki answered. "The whole reason they got into a fight last night was because of Lily-nee and Meiko-nee making that awful plan to use our weaknesses against us. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about, right?"

The blonde stiffened, and was quick to look away. "Uh…"

Miki shook her head. She wasn't angry with Rin's involvement in the plan, because she knew just how easy it would have been for Lily and Meiko to sway the young blonde over with bribes. "It's fine, I'm not mad at you for what happened. I'm still a little upset with Lily-nee and Meiko-nee, but other than that, you have nothing to worry about…" She paused, and shrugged a shoulder. "But like I was saying, that's what Gumi-nee fought Meiko-nee over… Because Meiko-nee started talking about me and Miku-nee, and it made Gumi-nee angry."

"So Gumi-nee thought she'd fight Meiko-nee?"

"…Well, yes," Miki answered. "I don't think Gumi-nee was thinking about it, though. She just sort of tackled Meiko—"

"_Tackled?"_

"…Y-yes…"

"WOW! THAT'S SO COOL!" Rin's blue eyes shone with excitement and admiration for the green haired girl. "Seriously! That makes her the coolest freaking person ever!"

The redhead stifled a giggle. "Does this mean I can date Gumi-nee, then?"

"HECK YES—Eh?" Rin blinked several times. "Only if you make me breakfast."

"…S-sorry?"

"Make me breakfast. Waffles, and orange slices," the blonde nodded her head, and grinned down at her Onee-sama. "If you do that, then I'll be a-okay with you dating Gumi-nee!"

Miki smiled and stood up, her head shaking. "You drive a hard bargain there, Rin-chan," she joked. "But alright. I'll make you breakfast."

"YAY!" The younger girl bounced up and down several times before she sped out of the room. "WAFFLES FOR BREEEAAAAAAKFAAAAST!"

The redhead laughed at her 'younger sister's antics. Her ruby eyes glanced at the bed, unsurprised to see that it was already made. "Ah.. Luka-nee's already up," Miki murmured to herself, before she exited the bedroom. "I wonder where she could have went…?"

* * *

><p><strong><em>｢<em>_Repetitive questions, but no one wants solutions  
>I hate, I hate, I hate this restraint<em>_｣_**

The stainless steel door to the freezer was thrown open, and she glared at the monstrosity within. Packages of easy to make Western meals, such as pasta, were crammed on the shelves, as well as ingredients for traditional Japanese foods. Her emerald eyes were having a hard time sorting out the items on the shelves as she desperately searched for the icebox. It had been some time since she actually peered into the freezer. Gumi rarely cooked meals for the entire house on a whim, and only did so when she was specifically asked to. And as a direct result…

She had no fucking clue what she was looking at.

"Where the hell is the damned ice box...?" She growled as she shoved her way through the plastic packages. It was already difficult enough looking for the ice box with a swollen black eye, courtesy of the resident drunk. It had seemed that overnight, her bruised eye decided it would swell up to the point where she could barely see out of it. With a frustrated sigh, she continued her search in vain. Gumi was vaguely aware of someone opening the door to the fridge beside her. Shifting came from the fridge, and then the fridge door was shut. "Where.. The… Hell…"

"Nya, Gumi-san~ What're you looking for? Do you need any help?"

The green haired girl stiffened. Slowly, she withdrew her head from the freezer, and slowly looked over her shoulder. Emerald eyes met gold eyes.

"…No, I don't need any of your damned help," Gumi snapped at Iroha, who was seated on the countertop beside the sink.

Iroha smiled slightly, and took a sip from the small carton of milk in her hand. "Are you sure? It must be difficult to find what you're looking for with your eye like that," she pointed out, as she kicked her legs in the air like a child. "I don't mind helping you out, you know—"

"You _really_ wanna help me?" Gumi asked, her emerald eyes narrowed as she gave the cat-like girl a deadly glare.

"Un! Of course I do!"

"Then you can start by getting the hell outta here."

"Nyaaa… That's not very nice, Gumi-san," long haired girl sighed, yet her smile did not waver. "I was only trying to be nice."

"_Nice?"_ Gumi repeated in disbelief. The door to the freezer was slammed shut, and she turned to face Iroha. In only a few short steps, she closed the distance between them, and shoved her face in front of the other girl's. "You want to be _nice?"_

"Mm.. Well, yeah!" Iroha answered, completely oblivious to the dangerous aura that Gumi was giving off. "I thought we might as well be civil if I'm going to move in—"

"I don't want to be civil! Especially if—Wait… What?" Gumi's rage instantly vanished, and her expression was that of complete and utter disbelief. "You're… No, you can't be…"

Iroha shrugged her shoulders, and turned her head away from Gumi's so she could take another sip of milk. "I might be," she corrected herself, a sly smile on her face. "I've been thinking about it for a few days now, and it might be in everyone's best interest if I do move in. And if I do move in, it'd be easier for me to see that person that caught my attention—Oh?" Her gold eyes looked down at the pair of hands that were gripping onto her shirt tightly. The knuckles, she noted, were beginning to turn white from the tension.

Once more, Gumi shoved her face in front of Iroha's. "No. You can't move in," she hissed, venom dripping from her voice. "I won't let you."

Sanrio's Vocaloid had been expecting such a reaction from Gumi, and it was easy for her to remain absolutely calm. "Why not?" she asked, clearly feigning innocence.

"You know why."

"Mmm… Nya, sorry, I don't."

Gumi shook Iroha once. "Don't play stupid!" she snarled. "I don't want you doing anything to hurt Miki-chan. If you play any more games with her, I'll beat the shit out of you."

Iroha held her hands up as a gesture of surrender and peace. "No, I wasn't going to do that," she said, her smile fading. "I don't want to hurt Miki-chan anymore, either."

"…What?" The grip on the shirt slackened.

"I don't want to hurt Miki-chan," Iroha repeated, as she gently tried to pry Gumi's fingers off of her shirt. "After seeing your fight last night, I decided I was done with this game. It's twisted, and I don't want to have any part with it anymore." She met the gaze of those distrustful green eyes. "Just… Just believe me when I say that I want to help you guys.." Her tone was pleading now, the playfulness gone.

Gumi couldn't believe what she was hearing, let alone _seeing._ For as long as she had known Nekomura Iroha, the pink-haired girl always had a smile on her face. But right now… Iroha looked desperate, like she wanted Gumi to believe and trust in her. It was a look that Gumi was not accustomed to seeing on Nekomura's face, and she wasn't sure how she felt about seeing such an expression. "You… No," Gumi shook her head. "This must be another trick—"

"It's not!" Iroha interrupted, sounding slightly frustrated. "I promise! I just want the games to stop, and I want everyone to be happy again. All of you are so different now…" She frowned at the green haired girl. "Maybe I'm the only one that can see that, since I'm something like an outsider. But you're angrier than before… Miki-chan's terrified that you and Miku-san will get hurt… Luka-nee's absolutely confused. And Lily-nee… She's… Lost. Things are wrong, and they shouldn't be this way."

At this, Gumi snorted. "So what if things are all sorts of fucked up? What do you think you can do about it?" She demanded, as she gripped onto Iroha's shirt once more. "You fucked things up—You _helped_ Lily-nee fuck things up! There's no reason for me to believe a word you've been saying!"

The cat like girl sighed, and shook her head. "I know that… But, you just need to trust me on this one. I'm trying really hard to make amends." It was hard for Gumi to ignore the pleading look in Iroha's eyes. For once, the cheerful girl was completely serious. "I want to help you guys fix things. I want to set things right."

Teeth clenched together, Gumi gave in. "Fine. Fine. I'm trusting you on this," she snarled, and brought Iroha close so their foreheads were touching. The look in Gumi's eyes became venomous as she glared into those golden orbs. "But I swear, if you do anything to hurt Miki-chan, I _will_ hunt you down."

Iroha smiled slightly, her expression lightening up once more. "Nya, nya, I'd be surprised if you didn't—"

"WHOA! GUMI-NEE'S GONNA KILL IROHA-NEE!"

"G-Gumi-nee! What're you doing…?"

Both Iroha and Gumi looked over at the newcomers.

Rin looked absolutely excited that a fight may potentially break out. Her blue eyes were wide with anticipation, and she was jumping up and down. Beside her, Miki's ruby eyes watched in horror.

"What—No, I wasn't going to—" Gumi stumbled over her words as she tried to explain the situation in as few words as humanly possible.

Iroha laughed softly, and pried her shirt out of Gumi's grip. "Nyaaaa~ Gumi-san wasn't going to fight me, Rin-chan," she explained, as she picked up her carton of milk. Golden eyes were filled with amusement once more, and it caught Gumi completely off guard. It seemed that Nekomura Iroha was a master of her emotions, able to pull a complete 360 when necessary. "We were… Talking."

"AAAAWWW!" Rin groaned, and folded her arms across her chest. Cheeks were puffed up with air as she gave Iroha an extremely disappointed look. "That's not fun…"

"You know what would be fun?" Gumi snapped. "If I could lock you up in the freezer for a day or two. That'd be fun. Maybe the mansion would be quiet, at least for a little while."

Miki gasped. "Gumi-nee!"

Rin paled, and hid behind Miki. "MIKI-NEESAMA WOULDN'T LET YOU DO THAT!" she shouted from behind the redhead. "Right, Miki-neesama?"

Miki nodded slowly. "R-right… Gumi-nee, you shouldn't threaten people like that—Ah, your eye!" She immediately ran over to Gumi, and halted before the startled greenette. "It's swollen… Does it hurt—Of course it hurts," she answered herself, as she carefully traced the outside of the bruise.

Gumi flinched, and withdrew away from the touch. "Geez—Quit it—"

"Let me get you some ice!" Miki scurried over to a drawer, pulled out an empty ice pack, and then hurried over to the freezer. She threw the door open, and was quick to locate the ice box, much to Gumi's amazement. The bag was filled with ice cubes, and the redhead was back at Gumi's side. "Here."

"Er… Thanks…" Gumi took the ice pack from Miki, and carefully pressed it against her throbbing eye. Her cheeks became a faint shade of pink when she noticed the smile that had suddenly appeared on Miki's face.

"You're welcome! I told you that I'd be here for you, Gumi-chan! I want to help you get better, in any way possible."

"Sometimes I really don't get you…"

"Huh? What's not to understand? Do you want me to explain?"

"Yeah, that'd be nice," Gumi answered, almost sarcastically.

Miki paused, and nodded. She lowered her voice to a whisper, and leaned forward, having to stand slightly on her tip-toes to reach Gumi's ear. "Mentally, emotionally, physically… I just want to help you and let you know that you're not alone anymore," she whispered shyly, as if this were a secret meant only for the two of them.

Instantly, Gumi felt her face explode from an unexpected blush. "Wh-wh—Don't say things like that," she stammered, unsure of what the proper reaction was for something like this.

Miki giggled, and one of her hands reached out and grasped Gumi's free one.

Iroha watched in silence, and the smile on her face widened at the exchange between the two. She took another sip of milk, and hopped off of the counter. "Ne, ne, Rin-chan!" She went over and nudged the 14 year-old. "Aren't they cute?"

The young blonde watched her older sister interact with Gumi, and sighed. "I… Yeah, maybe," she admitted, her expression softening ever so slightly. "But if Gumi-nee messes this up, I'm gonna shave all her hair off..."

"Kya~ Rin-chan! You really love your Onee-san!" Iroha laughed, as she patted Rin on the head. "You remind me of someone just as protective of Miki-chan."

"Eh?" Rin turned her blue eyes up to look at Iroha. "Who's that?"

"Mm… Someone with a good heart, that's all," the cat-like girl answered, before she walked away from the group. "I should get going. I have somewhere to be. Bye-bye!"

Rin blinked several times as she watched Iroha leave the kitchen. She looked extremely confused by the older girl's words. Who the heck could Iroha have been comparing her to?  
>And then she realized something extremely important.<p>

Her blue eyes turned to see Miki hugging Gumi tightly, her face buried into the green haired girl's shoulder. Gumi's face was dark red, and the icepack was still pressed against her sore eye. She awkwardly had one arm wrapped around Miki's waist, and her emerald eyes (well, eye), was wandering the room, unsure if she should look at the girl that was attached to her, or focus her attention elsewhere.

Rin wasn't sure if she wanted to go "aw" and grin at the pair, or go over and separate the two.

"Onee-sama!" She whined.

"Mm?" Miki's slight reply was muffled by Gumi's t-shirt.

"Make me my waffles!"

Silence.

"Ah! Waffles! Right!" Miki tore herself away from Gumi, and ran towards the cupboard in search of the proper ingredients.

Gumi sighed. "I—I'm just going to go head up to my room…" she said, before she turned to leave.

"No!" Miki ran over to her, and nearly tackled the greenette. Her arms were wrapped around Gumi, and she looked up into confused emerald eyes. "Ah—Th-that is… Why don't you have breakfast with us?" she asked, embarrassed. "I—I was going to make breakfast for Rin-chan and myself… So… It wouldn't be a problem if I made breakfast for you—"

"I get it, I get it," Gumi sighed and gave Miki a lopsided smile. "I'll eat with you guys."

"Ah! Really?"

"Yup."

"Yay—"

"WAFFLES! MY WAFFLES!" Rin interrupted, as she threw her arms up into the air, clearly impatient.

"Ah—R-right!"

"You have to let go of me if you're going to cook, though," Gumi added, as she pointed this out to the redhead.

Miki's cheeks flushed, and she removed herself from Gumi and frantically hurried back to the cabinet.

The green haired girl shook her head, and pressed the ice pack against her eye once more. "Geez…" She blinked when she felt a tug on her shirt. She looked down to see Rin glaring up at her. "Eh?"

"I'm going to shave your hair off if you break Miki-neesama's heart."

"…"

"Seriously." The blonde folded her arms across her chest and walked away from Gumi. She climbed up onto one of the stool seats that were found by the island counter.

"… What the hell…" Gumi shook her head, and went over to the breakfast table. She took a seat at the table.

Rin turned around once more, and stared Gumi down. "Seriously."

"…."

* * *

><p><strong><em>｢<em>_I switch on to "Loneliness" and begin to pray  
>"Oh no, oh stop it, please…"<br>Uncontrollable dreams…__｣_**

That morning, Lily had woken up early. Though she was one to enjoy her sleep and spend her mornings sleeping in if possible, a restless night had caused her to slip in and out of sleep. She woke up, exhausted, and with a headache. Last night's events had drained her, and she wanted nothing to do with the other residents of the mansion for the day. As a way to avoid any run-ins with her house mates, she left, and went directly to the studio. Her producers were surprised to see Masuda Lily around the studio when she didn't have to be there.

"Masuda-san! You're not scheduled to come in and work on your new single until next week," the spectacled receptionist said, as she pulled up Lily's work schedule onto the monitor of her computer. "Ano… Did you want to practice?"

Lily gave the receptionist a grin, and rubbed at the back of her neck. "Ah—Yeah, yeah," she laughed. "Something like that."

"…Y-You really want to practice?" the receptionist asked in disbelief. "Eto… Masuda-san?"

"Eh?"

"Are… Are you feeling okay?" she looked extremely concerned. "If you're sick, you should stay at home and rest, not come to the studio to practice."

Lily's ocean blue eyes stared at the receptionist.

"I know the big guys upstairs want you all to produce amazing music, but you shouldn't overwork yourself! It isn't healthy—"

"No… No, that's not it at all," Lily laughed, and shook her head. "I swear I'm not sick." The smile on her face widened into a cheeky grin as she put her hands behind her head. "I just wanted to get outta the house, to tell ya the truth," she explained, with a slight shrug. "Things are a little crazy at home, so I figured I should go out and… do something productive."

"'Do something… productive'?"

"Yup."

"… I'm going to call you a cab to take you home—"

"I said I'm fine, geez!" Lily snickered, and walked down the hall towards the recording booths. "I'll be in the usual one." She stopped in front of a door and twisted the knob. The door swung open effortlessly.

"Okay-.. Oh! But that one's-.."

_Thud._

The door to the booth was shut, and the receptionist sighed. She clicked a window on her computer which showed her who was in what booth and at what time. With a few quick key strokes, she added "Masuda Lily" to the name that was already listed for booth "5". "This is surprising," she murmured. "That they would both decide to come in just to practice…"

* * *

><p>Light chatter filled the coffee shop, oblivious to the pair that had walked into coffee shop. The shorter of the two grinned and went to get their drinks. The taller of the two slid into a booth, and leaned back into the seat. He hoped his outfit was casual enough, as to not be spotted by rabid fans. Khaki slacks, brown shoes, black pea coat over a white button down, a pair of fake eye glasses… Yes, Gakupo was sure that this outfit would allow him to pass as an average person. He closed his eyes, and sighed. It was a good thing that he had decided to go out for coffee rather than stay at home that day. After that fight between Gumi and Meiko last night, he wasn't sure if he would be able to stay calm when it felt like the house could blow up at any moment.<p>

His companion slid into the seat across from him, an arm outstretched. "Oi, Gakupo… Your drink," Kaito said as removed the sunglasses that hid his blue eyes. Dressed in a white and navy blue zip-up fleece, dark slim fit jeans, black sneakers, and a white and navy baseball cap, Kaito looked every-bit the handsome young man that his publishers made him out to be. "… Oi… Gaku—"

"Shh!" Gakupo snatched the Styrofoam cup of coffee from Kaito, and was quick to glare at his friend. "Don't call me that when we're out in public!"

"Huh?" Kaito blinked several times, utterly confused. "What am I supposed to call you then? It's your name… So… Of course I'd call you that…"

The purple haired man shook his head quickly. "You can't! The last time one of us Vocaloids decided to call themselves by their name, I was attacked by fans!" He shuddered at the recollection of the memory. "Just… Call me something that has nothing to do with my name."

The blue haired man set down his own cup, and folded his arms across his chest. "Eh? That's stupid…" Kaito muttered. "But, okay, whatever. How about… Eggplant?"

"… _Nani?_"

"Un. Eggplant-sama," Kaito nodded at this, as if he were approving his own idea. "Sounds good to me."

"Wait—That's absolutely—"

"Perfect, right?" Kaito laughed, and took a sip from his cup. "But—Ne, ne, let's talk about something better."

Gakupo felt his temple throb. For some reason, Kaito was reminding him of a certain tealette…  
>No wonder Gumi complained that she used to get headaches when she first moved in. There must be something within Miku and Kaito's family that made them irritate the shit out of their best friends.<br>"Like what?"

"Like the situation at home!" Kaito exclaimed, as if this were the most obvious thing in the world. "You know… with that whole fight yesterday and everything."

"Oh… Right."

The blue haired boy drummed his fingers against the side of his cup. "Uh-huh. I know Gumi-chan must've talked to you about it when you brought her to your room to calm down," he said. "Mei-chan was completely out of it when I brought her to my room after that little fight. Your little cousin definitely laid it on her."

"Don't sound so proud of that… Your girlfriend got her ass handed to her…"

"Eh, I know that," Kaito shrugged. "But she must have had it coming if Gumi-chan was the one to fight her. Gumi-chan may be short tempered, but she doesn't seem like the type to get into a serious fight like that unless she had a good reason to." He paused, and blinked a few times. "Which is funny… 'Cause right before that fight even happened, Miku-chan came into my room to talk to me."

Gakupo raised a brow at this. "Really? Miku-chan came to talk to you, of all people?"

"Oi! What's that supposed to mean? I'm her _Nii-san_, ya know!"

"I know, but… You're an idiot—"

"Am not!" Kaito huffed. "Look—She just talked to me about what she should do with Luka-chan and Lily-chan." He frowned slightly. "I think she's considering giving up on Luka-chan just so Lily-chan will leave her and the others alone." It was clear he wasn't happy with this, for he shook his head and took a sip from his coffee angrily. "I told her she shouldn't do that, since she's got some pretty strong feelings for Luka-chan. I told her it'd be best to keep trying until Luka-chan comes up with a decision."

"Well, the choice is up to Luka-chan—"

"I know that!" Kaito groaned. "But that doesn't mean I have to like it."

Gakupo gave his friend and amused smirk before he sipped his own coffee. "Then how about we raise the stakes?"

"…Huh?"

"Our bet," Gakupo clarified, before he drank from his cup once more. "You placed a bet on your younger cousin, and I sided with Lily. How about we raise the bet, and bet on what they'll do?"

The blue haired man's frown twisted into a grin. "Yeah? Okay then. I'm doubling my bet on Miku-chan. From 1,000 yen to 2,000. She'll end up with Luka-chan, find a way to get Gumi-chan to admit her feelings to Miki-chan, and end up becoming friends with Lily-chan."

Gakupo snorted. "That last part won't happen," He scoffed. "After an intense rivalry like that, you think they could become friends? Impossible. 2,000 yen on Lily. She'll be the one to date Luka-chan, become protective of Luka-chan, and rub it into Miku-chan's face. As for Gumi-chan and Miki-chan… I agree, they'll eventually become a couple. Probably."

"No way! I think Lily-chan'll figure that she'd just want to be best friends with Luka-chan. Or something like that…" Kaito shrugged. "I dunno. I just know my cousin is going to win."

"Impossible."

"Possible." Kaito grinned and held his hand out to Gakupo. "You're the one that wanted to increase the bet. You feeling lucky?"

Gakupo stared at the outstretched hand. He grinned as well, and shook the hand. "Just watch. I'll win this."

**_｢__There's nothing you can't buy with money in this world__｣_**

* * *

><p>Lily stepped into the room, and sighed. Although she did find it amusing that the receptionist thought she was sick, she couldn't help but feel slightly irritated that everyone thought she was lazy when it came to work. Sure, she came in to work normally dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt, but that was only because she wanted to be comfortable. It wasn't because she was too lazy to find a proper outfit to wear. And besides… When she <em>did<em> go in for work, most of her time was spent in a recording booth singing. If she had to do a photoshoot that day, she would wear clothes selected by her personal stylist, modeling clothes that were appropriate for her next single or music video.

With a shake of her head, she slid the backpack off from her back and set it down on the floor. Lily plopped down beside her bag, unzipped it, and began to search for the sheet music for her latest song. Normally she would be excited about looking over new music… But she had a bad feeling about this song when she read over who she would be collaborating with.

"Oi, what're you doing in here?"

Confused, Lily looked up, only to stare into the brown eyes of one Sakine Meiko. "Eh? This is my usual booth," she answered with a slight frown on her face. "Why are _you_ in here? Aren't you hung over or something? Or in any _pain?_"

Meiko shrugged her shoulders and put her hands on her hips. "I didn't want to be at home," she replied. "And yeah, I've got a hangover, and yeah, I'm in pain."

Lily's ocean blue eyes looked Meiko over, noting the bruises along the older girl's exposed arms and face, as well as a bandage that covered part of her swollen nose. Gumi had dealt quite some damage to the brunette. "You should've stayed at home then," she muttered, before she went back to digging through her backpack. The papers rustled as she shoved her way through the countless sheets of paper that were sloppily crammed into the bag. "Singing doesn't help a hangover ya know. It'll just make things worse—Ah, there it is." Triumphantly, she pulled out a set of papers that had been stapled together. "Plus your nose looks freakin' horrible. Gumi-chan definitely kicked your ass—"

"Shut up!' Meiko snapped, as she sat down across from Lily. She sat cross-legged, looking every bit like a kindergartner, albeit a hung over one at that. "If I wasn't drunk—"

"Wasted," Lily corrected."

"Whatever. If I didn't drink, I could've beaten her."

"Gakupo said she knows how to kick box and learned some martial arts here and there."

"I still could've—"

"You would have lost either way."

Meiko clenched her teeth together as she glared at the blonde before her. "Shut up! It's not like you did anything, anyway!" she snapped. "You're still in the same shitty situation, aren't you? No Luka for you, and you're still competing with Miku."

The blonde stiffened and looked up from the sheet music in her hands. "Things'll get better," Lily mumbled, before she went back to memorizing her lines. "I'm going to end up with Lu-chan one way or another…"

"Yeah? Doesn't seem like it," Meiko scoffed.

"Shut up! That whole thing with Iroha was your idea!" Lily snapped, as she threw the sheet music down. "If I didn't listen to you, I'd probably be with Lu-chan by now! And she found out, ya know! Lu-chan _knows_ what was going on and why Iroha suddenly decided to show up around the mansion." Her blue eyes narrowed as she glowered at the brunette. "Now everything's all sorts of fucked up and there's not a damned thing I can do about it!"

The brunette snorted, and leaned back, using her hands to support herself. "So what? Why should I care? I got what I wanted, and that was to see Gumi get hurt—"

"She's not hurt anymore, now that she knows what we were doing! I'm pretty sure her and Miki-chan are gonna get together!"

"At least there'd be a happy couple by the end of this whole thing," Meiko shrugged.

"What the hell—What about _me?"_ Lily stared at Meiko in disbelief. "I thought you wanted to help me—"

"Eh. Nah, not really," Meiko shrugged once more, her expression that of indifference. "I don't care who Luka ends up with anymore. I just want everyone to shut the hell up and move on with life." Her lips twisted into a condescending smirk. "What? Are you surprised? I told you I just wanted to see Gumi get hurt and squirm around a bit in pain. And I pretty much got what I wanted… But…" She raised one hand and gingerly touched her sore nose. "Now I kinda want to kick her ass."

The blonde could only continue to stare at Meiko, unable to believe what she had just heard. "Are you _kidding_ me? You just used my situation as an excuse to—"

"Get back at Gumi? Yup."

"Manipulative son of a—"

Meiko tsk'd, and wagged her index finger at the fuming blonde. "It's your own fault, you know," she added. "No one told you to listen to me. Hell, if I were you, I wouldn't have listened to me once I heard that plan. It's kinda stupid," she snickered. "Effective, but stupid 'cause it was bound to backfire one day."

Lily's hands clenched into fists, and it was taking every ounce of her self-control to keep herself from throwing a punch at the already injured brunette.

"Anyway… Whatcha gonna do now, huh?" Meiko continued on, oblivious to the rage that the blonde was exuding. Her brown eyes looked up at the ceiling. "You still gunnin' to be Luka's girl?"

"Of course!"

"Figures…" Meiko shrugged her shoulders. "Hey.. What do you got to lose with this whole game between you, Miku, and Luka? And what're you gonna win?"

"I'd lose my best friend, and I'd win my best friend's heart."

"Eh? But if you guys are best friends, neither of those matter," Meiko said pointedly, as she rubbed at her temple with one hand. "You've known each other for forever, so there's no way you could lose her as a friend. And you're her best friend, so she already loves you that way—"

"Just shut up."

"It's true. At least, that's how I see things. But I guess idiots will be idiots."

"Then what does that make _you?"_ Lily hissed.

"A happy drunk."

Unable to take any more of this, Lily stood up and crossed the room, heading towards the door. This was ridiculous. How could she have been so oblivious to Meiko's true nature? And how the hell was she going to practice her part if she was going to waste her time talking to someone hung over? Still fuming, she yanked the door to the booth open and stormed out.

Behind her, she could have sworn she heard Meiko's mocking chuckle, followed by, "You're gamblin' a lot here, Lily~ Hope you know what you're gonna do next, or you'll lose big time."

Those words replayed in her head as she walked further down the hall in search of a recording booth out of reach from the rest of the world.

**_｢__Or if I were to rephrase, in my own terms:  
>"Everything is for sale, just put the price tag on."<br>Oh loss or gain, why should I care?__｣_**

* * *

><p><strong><em>｢<em>_It shows little by little, the raw truth is subtle  
>So sly, so sly, not pretty to the eye.<br>Now I can see the true sin, strip down to your bare skin…__｣_**

It was quiet in the room, and Luka was content with that. She had escaped the mansion in order to do some thinking in peace. After yesterday's revelation, and the full-blown brawl between Gumi and Meiko, Luka wasn't sure she could handle the tense atmosphere within the mansion. After passing by a battered and bruised Gumi in the hallway this morning, she had decided that it would be best to leave the mansion before anything _else_ could happen. What made things worse was that she knew that she was the center of the entire conflict.

If she hadn't fallen for both Lily and Miku, then maybe things wouldn't have come to this. Maybe if she and Lily had stayed strictly as best friends, then tensions would not have escalated to war-like levels. No matter which angle she looked at the situation from, it all led back to her. And Luka absolutely hated it.

A sigh escaped her as she began to massage her temples, willing her headache to go away. Her light blue eyes looked down at the music stand before her, and they quickly skimmed over the sheet music.

No matter how many times she tried to memorize her lines, her thoughts always returned to yesterday's events.

From Miku's revelation, unmasking Lily's actions… The sense of betrayal she felt when she had confronted Lily… The sight of Gumi's swollen eye, mouth spewing swears and threats towards a drunk Meiko, who suffered from a bloody nose… To that last chat with Miki…  
>The thoughts haunted her, and she struggled to find a way to make things within the house hold peaceful.<p>

But that seemed to be an impossible task by this point. Things could only be settled by her ultimately deciding between her two suitors.

_Suitors…_

Luka closed her eyes, and shook her head. What was she going to do about them? She would have to decide sooner or later…  
>And right now, sooner seemed to be best. If she were to put it off, Luka was sure all hell would break lose within the mansion, and there would be another brawl between her house mates.<p>

But who to choose?

Lily?  
>Her best friend?<br>It was true, she did feel safe around the blonde. And the blonde's sense of humor and idiotic antics managed to bring a smile to her face. But lately, things had felt different with Lily. Luka no longer felt the sense of calm, amiable companionship she had once felt when she was near the blonde. Things were tense, and it made Luka nervous.  
><em>"Probably because there are feelings involved now,"<em> Luka reasoned with herself, as she sighed once more. Feelings complicated things. Not only was Luka afraid to _be_ hurt, but she was afraid to hurt others as well.  
>And what exactly did she feel for Lily? Yes, a strong feeling of friendship was there… They had grown up together, after all. And Luka did find Lily to be physically attractive. But did that mean she could be in a relationship with her best friend?<p>

Maybe…  
>Yet, after Miku's revelation, Luka was unsure if she could trust Lily at the moment. The blonde had gone behind her back to hurt Miku, Gumi and Miki. It was something completely underhanded, and something Luka wholeheartedly disapproved of. Lily was still her best friend, that was certain, but there was a lack of trust within their friendship…<p>

**_｢__It reeks, it reeks, this shameless act__｣_**

So what about Miku then?  
>The tealette had proven to be trustworthy, and Miku was certainly more sensitive than Luka had expected. It had come as a surprise to find that Miku was quite protective of her friends, and despite her secretive ways before… The teal haired girl was simply trying to protect herself from a world of pain. From what Miku had mentioned in passing, and from what Luka had gathered from subtle hints and intuition, Miku had hurt Gumi. Miku regretted it. And now Miku would stop at nothing until she was able to make things right by pairing Miki with Gumi.<p>

An admirable act, in Luka's book.

But Miku's tendency to play Cupid aside, where did that leave things between _them?_  
>Luka was positive she had strong feelings for the teal haired girl, possibly stronger than what she felt for Lily. The pinkette felt a sense of trust with Miku, and she knew that trust was reciprocated. Their short conversations of reassurance had become more frequent, and it was almost second nature for Luka to find something comforting to say to put the teal haired girl at ease. Knowing that she could make Miku feel better was something that Luka had come to enjoy. Relieving Miku's pain and setting her at ease was something Luka wanted to do. And likewise, Miku had been able to say things that Lily couldn't. Miku had been able to say that she would be perfectly fine if they were only to be friends if it came to Luka selecting Lily. Although Luka had seen the hurt in Miku's eyes when she spoke, it was clear that the teal haired girl meant it.<p>

And that was something that Luka could not ignore.

Miku may have built herself a reputation around the house of being aloof, secretive, mercilessly annoying (according to Gumi), and narcissistic at times… The teal haired girl was capable of showing her soft side when it counted.

The silence of the room was disturbed by a click as the doorknob to the studio twisted open. Luka opened her eyes and looked over her shoulder, surprised that someone had decided to come in to practice as well.

**_｢__Looking for the one out of place and "perfecting the world"  
>It's this, it's that, it's them<br>So which do you want?__｣_**

* * *

><p><strong><em>｢<em>_Spit out the old love that has lost its flavor  
>And just take the fresher mint without a fight<br>You thought that the jigsaw is hard to fit around  
>But my piece seems to fit anywhere.<em>_｣_**

"Ah, sorry, this room is-… Mi…ku?" Luka stammered, as she stared at the pigtailed girl.

Miku smiled slightly, and rubbed at the back of her neck. "Ah, Luka-senpai! I didn't know you were in here—I'm sorry, I should have asked the receptionist if someone was using this booth," she apologized, her teal eyes avoiding the gaze of those familiar blue ones. "I'm sorry if I interrupted you while you were practicing. Ah… I'm just going to go find a different booth and—"

"W-wait! Don't—No, it's fine," the pink haired girl sighed, and returned Miku's smile. "It's alright, Miku-chan. I wasn't practicing. Well, not yet, at least."

"Oh…"

"Mm." Luka nodded once. "_Ano…_ Can we talk?"

The younger girl gave her senpai a cheeky smile, one that was normally reserved for her teasing moments with Gumi. "We're talking now, aren't we?"

Luka's cheeks became tinted with a light shade of pink. "That's—Yes, we are," she mumbled. Taking the jest as a sign to continue, she took a deep breath and locked eyes with Miku. "How do you know when you're in love?"

The grin was wiped off of Miku's face, and was replaced with a blank stare. "…Eh?"

"How do you know when you're in love?" Luka repeated, her expression that of embarrassed seriousness.

"_Eto…_ In love?" The tealette scratched her cheek with a single finger, and looked up at the ceiling as she formulated a proper answer. How the heck was she supposed to answer that? "How.. do you know…" Miku was at a loss for words. "You're asking a really hard question, Luka-senpai."

"I'm sorry… But, I just need to know…"

"Mm…" Miku thought it over for a moment more before she smiled. "Ah. Most people will tell you that your heart beat starts to speed up, right? That's pretty much true when you _first _fall in love… But after being in love with the same person for a while…" A short pause. "Well, you just feel really comfortable around that person. And you aren't afraid to open up and tell them what you're thinking," she explained to the best of her abilities. "Things you would normally be embarrassed about, or would want to keep a secret… You know you would be able to trust this person, so you would be able to go to them for anything. And you want nothing but the best for that person, because you want to see them happy." She looked at Luka, and her smile widened.

"'See them happy'…?"

"Yup!" The younger girl put her hands behind her back, and nodded her head. "Seeing them happy is all you want in the world. It just feels… Right. When they're happy, you're happy. Love is unconditional and there's no real reason behind it," she added. "But when you're in love, you'll know. You'll think about them a lot, and you'll want to make them happy—Oh!"

"H-huh?"

"My dad told me that when you're in love, you'll want to take away the pain that your loved one is feeling," Miku pressed onwards. "Take their pain and make it your own… That's how you know you really love someone… Because you feel everything that they feel. But instead of letting them suffer, you do everything that you can to lift them up."

The pink haired girl mused over those words. She nodded slowly, and gave Miku a small smile. "Ah… I see…"

The younger girl nodded, and skipped over to Luka's side. "Uh-huh. But, I gotta ask…" She looked up into those cool blue eyes. "Why did you ask me about that? Is something wrong?"

Luka was quick to shake her head, and she giggled. "No, no, it was just something that I had thought of just now," she answered, surprised that the real answer wasn't obvious to Miku. "Don't worry about it, Miku-chan."

"Er… Okay…" Miku shrugged her shoulders, and glanced at the sheet music on the music stand. "Oh! This song!" A wide smile spread across her face as she picked up the pieces of paper. "We're supposed to sing this with the others, aren't we?"

"Yes, we are."

"That's going to be exciting," the younger girl laughed, as she flipped through the parts. Her teal eyes quickly looked over who was singing what lines, and at what time.

Luka raised a brow. "'Exciting'?" she repeated. "I think it'll be dangerous, if things are still this tense when we have to record together next week."

"Things will be better, I think," Miku said, unable to mask the spark of hope within her voice. "I'm looking forward to be able to sing with you, though." She looked up at Luka and grinned. "Maybe after this we can do a duet together?"

The older girl blushed and looked away. "M-Maybe…"

"Ne, ne, Luka-senpai! Since we're both here, do you want to go ahead and just practice our parts?" Miku asked, as she pulled out her iPhone and her own sheet music from the tote bag that hung from her side. "I had the instrumental version for the song on my phone already, so we could sing along with it and just practice."

Luka nodded at the offer, and took her own sheet music from Miku's other hand. "That—Yes, I'd like that," she answered, her smile widening ever so slightly.

* * *

><p>Out in the hallway, Lily stood beside the open studio door. Her arms were folded across her chest as she eavesdropped on the conversation between Luka and Miku. The corners of her mouth twitched into a frown as she debated on whether or not to storm in and interrupt the two. She figured she could easily drag Luka out of the room.<p>

But…

It felt wrong to do something like that.  
>Scratch that. Lily knew it was wrong.<p>

She sighed, and began to walk away from the recording room. Hands laced behind her head, she looked up at the ceiling with her deep blue eyes. Lily allowed her mind to wander, and she found herself thinking over what Miku had said about love.

If what the teal haired girl said was true, then…

**_｢__Sailing in a never-ending storm  
>I threw away my anchor, now there's no stopping<br>Life, is a rough sea journey  
>So let's give a name to my ship that's fitting…<br>Such as "REGRET"__｣_**

* * *

><p><strong><em>｢"<em>_Obstacles", you ask? Then shall I name them off?  
>Our hearts, our morals, a sense of what's right?<br>Even if you plan to put a giant wall up front,  
>We will take a roundabout and say "Hello!"<em>_｣_**

They collided in the hall mid-way down the hall. The taller of the two had been lost in thought, blue eyes focused on the ceiling. And the newcomer?

She looked up at the blonde with gold eyes. "Ah! Lily-can~" Iroha sang, as her mouth curved into a cat-like grin. "I didn't know you ended up coming here!"

Lily looked down at Iroha, and felt her eye twitch. She was just running into everyone, wasn't she? "Yeah… Thought I should get away from home," she mumbled, as she strode past the grinning golden eyed girl.

Iroha followed Luka, her curious grin only widening. "Nya~ Lily-chan!" she called after the elder girl. "You look like you're thinking about something serious."

"Sort of."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

The blonde sighed, and shut her eyes for a second. Of course Iroha would ask. "Since you probably won't leave me alone until I tell you, sure," she said in defeat.

"Okay! So what is it?"

"What is love?" Lily mirrored Luka's question. Unlike her best friend, Lily wasn't looking for a way to sort through her feelings for two different girls. Lily was simply trying to make sense of… Everything.

The question caught Iroha off guard, for the cat like girl had opened her mouth to answer, and then shut it. "Ah.. Love?"

"Yeah. What is it?"

"It's… An emotion?"

"…Gee, thanks."

Iroha laughed, and put her hands into her pants pockets. "Mm… It's a complicated thing. It makes you do things for a person that you didn't think you would ever do," she began slowly, carefully selecting her words. "There are different kinds of love, too. Family love, friend love, and romantic, of course. But, if you really want to know, all you have to do is look around you."

At this, Lily raised a brow. "What?"

"At the mansion, I mean," Iroha clarified. "Like Miki-chan and Gumi-chan are romantical love… And even Rin-chan feels family love towards Miki-chan…"

**_｢"__What is love?", would you rather hear the truth?__｣_**

_The redhead happily cut up the waffle into several pieces. A smile was on her face as she plunged her fork into one of the soft pieces, and held it up to the mouth of a flustered green haired girl. "Open wide, Gumi-chan~" Miki sang, as she giggled at the expression on the other's face. _

_Gumi's cheeks only darkened as she began her protest. "This is stupid! I can feed myself—Mmf?"_

_The forkful of waffle had been promptly shoved into her mouth, for Miki had taken advantage of the moment. Gumi's face became scarlet, and she turned her head away from Miki as she chomped down on the waffle in her mouth._

_Being fed by someone else.  
>How embarrassing.<em>

_Seated across from the pair at the breakfast table sat a wary young blonde. Rin's blue eyes watched Gumi carefully, waiting for the green haired girl to mess up. The young blonde loved her Onee-sama, and she would not allow Gumi to cause Miki any sort of distress._

_-0-0-_

"And you can even look at Kaito-san and Meiko-san," Iroha continued, a thoughtful expression now plastered onto her face. "He loves her, and so he accepts all of her faults. And vice versa… Heck, even Luka-san and Miku-chan are a good example, too."

**_｢__It's something that you can LOse or giVE straight out.__｣_**

_Their voices harmonized as they sang through the chorus, a comfortable atmosphere taking hold of the recording booth. For the first time in a few weeks, Luka was completely at ease. The smile on her face was wide as she continued to sing the melody, her blue eyes shut. _

_Beside her, Miku wore a smile as well. She was simply happy to see that the tormented expression that Luka had been wearing when she first entered the recording booth was long gone. The smile on the pinkette's face was enough to bring her satisfaction. As they continued to sing, she reached out and laced her fingers with Luka's._

_Both blushed slightly at the contact, but neither pulled away._

_-0-0-_

Lily looked at Iroha, almost amazed that the cat like girl could say such things with a straight face. Wasn't Iroha known for being light-hearted? Since when was Iroha able to make a conversation serious? She certainly wasn't the same Iroha that had first become a Vocaloid…

"Nya~ I guess that's the jist of it, Lily-chan," Iroha shrugged. "Love is complicated and it doesn't need a real reason to take a hold of someone. " Her gold eyes looked up at the blonde expectantly. "So… Yeah."

The blonde was quiet for a moment. She looked down at Iroha, somewhat skeptically. "And what about me?" she asked.

"That's easy," Iroha laughed. "You're going through a mix of romantic and friendly love. Towards Luka-san, that is," she added. "But you're confused and aren't sure which one you're feeling. I can tell you now it's definitely a friendly, protective love, with lots of lust."

The blonde snorted and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, like you could figure me out so easily…"

Iroha only grinned and shrugged her shoulders.

"So what about you, then?" Lily asked suddenly.

**_｢__I don't need a diamond that's solid and bright…__｣_**

The cat like girl's brows raised at the sudden question. "Me?"

"Yeah. What kind of love would you say you're going through right now?" the older girl asked, as she dropped her arms to her side.

The grin that was on Iroha's face vanished. In its place was a shy smile. "Nya… What kind of love would I put myself under?" Iroha repeated. "Mm…"

"Well?" Lily asked.

"Romantic, I s'pose. But I'm definitely not looking for a fairy tale ending, or a perfect love," Iroha said dismissively.

"…Huh? Romantic-!"

Soft lips were suddenly pressed against Lily's. Blue eyes widened as she foggily comprehended what was going on. The pair of lips were quick to pull away and curve themselves into a Cheshire grin.

"Wh-wh-what the—Iroha—you-?" Lily stammered, her cheeks red. "What the fu—"

"Love doesn't have a real reason for taking hold of someone," Iroha laughed, as she sped down the hallway and entered an unoccupied recording booth. "Nya~ I guess I'll see you later, then!" The door clicked shut behind the cat like girl, and left the blonde standing alone in the hallway.

Masuda Lily quickened her pace, darting past a startled receptionist. A finger pressed the down button for the elevator, and the stainless steel doors slid open. She stepped inside, and leaned back against the wall. She closed her eyes, and put one hand over her heart.

Those beats…

It suddenly dawned on her…

Her heart was racing.

**_｢"__Crackless perfection," why should I care?__｣_**

* * *

><p><strong>Extremely long Author's Note:<br>**And that's the end of chapter 21. I'm trying to steadily bring things to a close. I want to end at 25 chapters. And man, I really hope I can do that. XD;; But… Who knows…  
>I'm very grateful that you made it to the end of the chapter!<p>

While working on this chapter, I honestly had the song "1925" on repeat. X_x; I didn't realize it was on repeat until my friend said "Uh. Hey. We've listened to this song like.. 10 times already. I get that you like Vocaloids, but can we listen to a different song now?"  
>Whoops.<br>But yes, I did try and incorporate the lyrics into the song. (^^;;) As many of you have probably noticed, I do try to pick a Vocaloid song that's relevant to the chapter contents. Originally, I wasn't going to add the lyrics throughout the chapter, but I realized just how perfect these lyrics were for the outline that I had typed up for this chapter. And then I decided that they needed to be a part of chapter 21.

Aside from that, I'm planning on writing a sequel to SoL in the future. As it stands, I'm already working on Matryoshka!, the prequel to SoL. So I figured there might as well be a sequel. But we'll see how that goes. XD; After all, I still need to finish up my other works!

After posting Chapter 20, I realized I should have just made a poll asking you all who your favorite character was. And I did just that. There's now a poll to see who everyone's favorite SoL character is! (^o^) ~ If you haven't cast your vote, go ahead and do so!

AND… For those of you who were wondering how I did on my exams last week… for my Japanese test (which caused the delay on this story)… I PASSED! :D My grade on the speaking test was a 90, on the listening portion I received a 86, and on the writing I got a 80. (^^)b Yaaaay! Studying pays off! I was hoping for higher, but I tend to mix up my particles, so I lost points on those. X_x;

_Reviewer Replies (There's a lot of them. I love you guys, and I hope you can find my reply to you if you left a review!):_

_PaperCutVictim:_ THIS. IS. SPAAAAAARTAAAA! I honestly imagined Gumi dressed as the guy from 300 (OTL I forgot his name), kicking Meiko into the pit. And I really laughed my ass off. Seriously. As for your war drums… Hopefully they don't break… XD;; Anyway, thanks man! I always appreciate your input! :D

_Masaru2509: _Ah, no, Reaper-Gumi wasn't inspired from that song. XD; Actually, I hadn't realized that Kaito had his own song for the Seven Deadly Sin series until I read your review. Then I looked up the song and went "OH. THAT'S WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT!" XD;;; It was a good song, though! Although, Daughter of Evil is still my favorite song from the Seven Deadly Sins series. But the composer, AkumaP, I think, is absolutely brilliant. And thank you!

_Jak656: _OTL Yes! That was a typo. Thank you for pointing that out! (^^) It makes me happy to hear that you enjoy my story! I must say, I'm looking forward to the next chapter for your story! :D I'll be sure to be on the look-out for it!

_Scarlet eagle: _It's okay if you only start to review now! A review is a review, and it's always appreciated! ;w; It's just nice to hear from the people who read my works. And hearing (well, reading) what you said about my fanfic being one of the best written… That means so much to me! ;w; Thank you so much for your support and kind words!

_Toolazytolog:_ After reading Lily's dream sequence after a week of having the last chapter on the site, I must admit… I creeped myself out a little bit, and I was the one that wrote it! XD;; I can definitely understand why you'd find it creepy! And thank you for your support!

_Major Mike Powell III: _Yup, this is definitely the last arc for SoL. I'm kinda sad to see that the end is getting closer and closer… But yup. A lot happened last chapter, huh? It's gonna be like that for every chapter until the end, I think. At least, that's what I'm planning on doing. Thanks for the support!

_LukaFan:_ LOL. I like how a lot of people are catching the Higurashi shout-out. It's my brother's favorite series, and that's the only thing I can remember from when I did sit down and watch an episode with him one day. And yes, I do know wanderlast. It's not one of my favorites in particular, though it is a good song! I'll be sure to check out the piano version! … SHOOT. I WISH I SAW YOUR REVIEW SOONER! OTL I didn't realize… a streamed concert…. I'm kinda bummed….. OTL aw man…  
>Ah! Really? K-ON! is my favorite series of all time! (^o^) And it's funny that you should mention it… After I finish writing SoL, Matryoshka!, and my K-ON fic, I was thinking about doing a cross-over with the Vocaloids from SoL and then my portrayal of the K-ON characters… XD<br>Aside from that, I do have some more ideas for more future Vocaloid fics.

_Rocketman182: _Hahah! From the other vocaloid fics that I've seen around this sight, I noticed that Gumi was either a pervert or an otaku, or a mixture of the two. XD I wanted to do something different with her, because the first few Gumi songs I had ever heard were pretty intense. (^^;;) But thank you so much! Watashi no monogatarai wa subarashii ja nai! (=^o^=) Demo, arigatou gozaimasu! Nihongo o hanashimasu desu ka?

_Chaseo Neos: _Ah, really? Hm, Pink Floyd, huh? They're a good band, in my opinion! (^^) Thank you very much for your support!

_Rnk1900: _Ah! OH MAN! I can't believe I made that typo! What an awful place to mix up Luka and Lily… XD;; Thank you for pointing that out! And thank you for reading and reviewing! :D

_NyanNyanL: _Don't worry about your English! It's very good! :D And thank you for your support! It seems like a lot of people like Gumi. (^^)

_The last into dark:_ (^^;) To be honest, I only have a general idea of how many chapters it will have. I'm planning on 25, and I'm really hoping that I can stick to that plan! If not, that's okay, because I know enough Vocaloid songs to be able to continue naming my chapters through song titles. XD;;;

_DG-05: _….. TTwTT That's one of the nicest reviews I've ever read since I joined this website… Thank you so much for your support! The fact that you said that this is one of the best that you've read really means a lot to me! I hope to hear from you again!

_Meislovely: _Kuro, you should be paid to take care of Shiro. I'm just saying! And Shiro… LOL XD Oh man…. I think Miku and Lily wouldn't be able to be in a polygamic relationship with Luka. Only because Lily and Miku would end up being jealous of each other, even though they would both be with Luka. Who knows.. They might end up starting a war over her (even though the mansion is already a warzone)!

_LSDawson:_ It's okay if you hate Miku. XD But thank you for your support! :D I'm glad to see that you enjoy it and you're still reading it!

.

OH! And I just remembered, I ordered Project Diva 2 Extend. I'm super excited for it to come in. *-* I'll be glued to my PSP for a while…

BUT ANYWAY.

I'd really like to thank all of you for your support! Honestly, you're all great people for reading, reviewing, and supporting this story. It means a lot to me! ;w; I would give all of you a hug, but geographically speaking (and due to the plain fact that I'm communicating with all of you through the internet), it isn't possible. But just know that I love you guys!

Thank you! And I'll see you all in the next chapter!


	22. Secret Afterschool

**Slice of Life**

**Ch. 22 – Secret Afterschool**

Hey everyone! (^^) Glad to see that you're still reading.

For this chapter, I'd like it if all of you were to listen to the actual song "Secret Afterschool." I promise that the second half of the chapter would make more sense if you heard the song in its entirety.  
>Youtube, of course.<p>

watch?v=e43l7gx6PXY

I changed some of the lyrics around after I first heard the song, because some of the translations were a little off… x_x; Now I'm super happy that I'm learning Japanese…

And like previous chapters, lyrics will be _italicized._ Yay!

Anyway, enjoy the (extremely long) chapter!  
>(Honestly, this is the longest chapter so far.)<p>

**Disclaimer: **Still don't own any Vocaloids…

* * *

><p><strong>Saturday Morning<strong>

Her bedroom was dark, for she had recently acquired black out curtains. It had come as a welcome addition to her room, for the sunlight that normally streamed through her blinds and curtains would irritate her in the morning. It was great to finally be able to sleep through that damned sun and it's damned light. The silence of the room was interrupted by a buzzing noise. The cell phone vibrated, and it did not go unnoticed by the occupant of the bed. Said phone was resting on her pillow, and the vibrations were enough to pull her out of her deep sleep. The girl groaned, and blindly smacked her hand around the pillow in search of the offending phone. Her fingers smacked onto the plastic green and white casing for her iPhone and they instantly wrapped around the device. She clicked the home button, and the screen lit up. Half-heartedly, she forced a single eye open in order to look at the time. "Damn it… What time is it-..."

9:30 AM.

"Oh… No big deal," she mumbled, as she closed her eye once more.

9:30 AM.

9:30 AM.

…

9:30 AM?

"EH?" She jumped out of bed and ran over to her bathroom. "SHIT, I'M LATE!" she shouted as she turned the shower on. The one exhausted girl was quick to strip herself of her clothing and jump into the shower.

Today was a big day for her. A major recording session was on her schedule, as well as a photo shoot immediately after. The bottle of shampoo was mercilessly squeezed and she lathered it into her hair immediately.

As stressed out as she was about being late, she couldn't help but relax a bit from the hot water running over her body. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. Although she knew she was pressed on time, taking a hot shower always helped to put her mind at ease. After what happened lately, she supposed that taking a moment to think things over would be good. Though a war had been narrowly avoided, despite the brawl between a certain green haired girl and the resident drunk, it was somewhat good to see that tensions in the house had relaxed somewhat. Since the fight, it seemed that everyone, well, almost everyone, was trying to keep things civil within the household. From the stories that she had heard from some of the other residents, and through what she went through herself this week, it seemed that maybe everyone would be able to survive until the end of the year. She had some interesting events occur to herself, and apparently, so did a few of the other members of the mansion. Stories tended to spread like wildfire across their home.

"_This week…"_ the girl thought to herself, as she rinsed out her hair. _"Has been… interesting…"_

* * *

><p><strong>Day 1 - Sunday<strong>

The grounds were quiet, and a single girl sat at the top of the metal jungle gym. She savored the silence, for it had seemed that the mansion itself was in a constant uproar. She adjusted the red goggles on her head, and sighed. She turned her emerald eyes up to the azure sky, and watched as the white, cotton candy like clouds floated over-head. Despite the fact that it was mid-November, she wasn't too cold. A fitted black leather jacket layered over fitted white pull-over hoodie, and dark denim skinny jeans tucked into black leather boots.

Out of force of habit, Gumi shoved her hands into the pockets of her leather jacket, a slight frown on her face. It didn't take much to irritate her, and lately all she had felt was an intense amount of irritation. This was probably due to the brawl she had had two days ago with one of her housemates.

"_That drunken bitch,"_ Gumi thought sourly, her brows creasing together. _"She said all that shit about Miku-chan and Miki-chan." _Within her jacket's pocket, her hands clenched into fists as the rage continued to boil within her, and began to course throughout her entire body. It was irritating to even think about, and it was obvious she was not going to get over Meiko's choice of words anytime soon.

_"But you really lucked out, huh? 'Cause if Miku-chan rejected you again, you'd already have Miki-chan waiting. 'Cause everyone knows how much she likes you, so it'd be easy for you to just turn around and take Miki-chan. You thought it all out. If you can't get the head bitch, go for the bottom bitch, right?"_  
>Wasn't that what Meiko had said?<p>

The green haired girl wasn't entirely sure, but she knew it was to something of that effect. She closed her eyes as she recalled how she saw red that night and launched herself at Meiko. It had ended in a messy brawl, with Meiko receiving a bruised and bloodied nose. Gumi herself walked away from the fight with a black eye.  
>Gingerly, Gumi put two fingers up to her eye. The swelling had gone down, but it was still sensitive to the touch. She sighed, and shook her head. It was so stupid of her to allow herself to lose control so easily. The fact that she had to be restrained by her <em>Onii-san<em> of all people… How ridiculous. And in front of Miki…

"Damn that drunk," Gumi cursed, as she pulled the white hood up and over her head. "Damn her. Damn her…"  
>But the more she thought over what occurred that night, the more she had come to realize that perhaps it was a good thing that she was restrained. During that moment, she was absolutely livid, and wanted nothing more than to destroy Meiko. Yet if that glass bottle had made contact with its intended target…<br>She probably wouldn't be allowed out of the house. In all reality, she was positive that Gakupo would have made her stay within her room until things had calmed down.

The girl clenched her teeth together. Being put in solitary confinement for a couple of days would have been absolutely horrible. Despite the fact that Gumi did enjoy some time alone, she was sure she would have gone absolutely nuts if she were to stay trapped in her room. "Whatever… Punching her in the face a couple of times made it all worth it," she muttered to herself. "I'd do it all over if I had the chance."

"Gumi-nee, you shouldn't say things like that," a voice said from beside her. "Violence isn't always the answer."

She didn't have to look to know who was speaking to her.

"Miki-chan…"

Gumi shifted, making room for the redhead to perch beside her on the jungle gym's bars.

The redhead carefully maneuvered herself beside the green haired girl, her usual smile replaced with a worried frown. Ruby eyes carefully looked over her companion. The younger girl sighed, and rested her head onto the shoulder of the greenette.

At the touch, Gumi stiffened, and then relaxed. She didn't turn her head to look at Miki, and simply glanced at her from the corners of her eyes. "How'd you know I was going to be here?" she asked, sounding almost irritated that her personal retreat had been discovered.

Miki smiled slightly, and shrugged her shoulders. "Um… Lucky guess?"

"Miki…"

The younger girl chuckled, and rubbed her cheek against the leather clad shoulder. "Okay, well… I remembered when we went on our first, uhm…" Miki's cheeks flushed. "That non-date when we were watching Miku-nee and Luka-nee while they were on their date… I remembered that when you became angry with me, you came straight to this park."

"Oh…"

Miki nodded once. "Yeah. And I followed you here, remember?" She wrapped her arms around Gumi's, hugging the green haired girls arm.

Yes, Gumi remembered. She had stormed out on their "non-date" date in a rage due to Miki's prying into past events. And they had both ended up at the park. She blinked, and realized that during that time, she had accidentally knocked herself out…

"Oh yeah." Gumi removed her hands from her pockets. One hand was still clenched into a fist, and the other became an open palm. She patted her fist into the palm, and nodded. "Polka dots."

"…Huh?"

"Polka dot panties," Gumi repeated, as she looked down at the puzzled redhead. A blush soon enveloped both of their cheeks. "You were wearing those polka dot panties, right?"

"Ah—G-Gumi-nee!" Miki buried her face into Gumi's shoulder as she felt the heat spread from her cheeks and to her ears. Of all things for Gumi to remember, it had to be _that._

The older girl shrugged a shoulder, and rubbed the back of her neck. "But you were—"

"You knocked yourself out, though!" Miki countered, her voice muffled by the jacket. "And I had to watch you for an hour, you know."

"An… Hour?" Gumi repeated, sounding very surprised. "I was unconscious for an hour?" That was surprising. She figured it must have been at least five minutes. But an hour? "You took care of me for an hour?"  
>She felt Miki nod into her shoulder.<br>"Well… Thanks, Miki-chan…"

The younger girl kept her face buried into the shoulder, and smiled slightly. "You don't have to thank me. Of course I would've taken care of you until you woke up." Miki lifted her head up and gave Gumi a warm smile.

"Yeah? Why's that?"

"'Cause… I…"

Gumi blinked and looked back down at Miki. "Hm?"

"I—I-…"

"…Huh?" Gumi frowned slightly, her brows creased together in confusion. "You what?"

"Ugh, Gumi-chaaaaan!" Miki whined, as her cheeks became an even darker shade of red.

Chan?

"You… Never call me 'Gumi-chan'…" the green haired girl said slowly. "Why'd you—"

"Because it'd be weird if I kept calling you 'Gumi-nee'!" The redhead answered, her cheeks puffed up in embarrassment and indignation. She stared at the older girl, thinking that it would have been obvious to Gumi why she was getting flustered. Was the green haired girl really as dense as Miku had told her? She stared up at the older girl, who only returned her flustered gaze with a look of utter confusion.

Megpoid Gumi was really dense.

"I don't understand what you're trying to tell me," Gumi mumbled, as she looked away from the smaller girl. Her emerald eyes looked back up at the azure sky, pondering what could have caused Miki to stutter so much.  
>And after a few seconds of thinking, she came with a valid confusion.<p>

Gumi had no idea what the _fuck_ could make Miki stutter or call her 'Gumi-chan'. If Miki was going to call her 'Gumi-chan' from now on, she supposed she'd just have to get used to it…

Miki took a deep breath, and un-wrapped her arms from around Gumi's arm. "Ano… Gumi-chan…" Her ruby eyes met emerald ones, and she gave the other girl a shy smile. She took a deep breath before she spoke once more. "It'd be weird if I kept called you 'Gumi-nee' because…"

"'Because?'"

"I—It'd be strange to call you 'Gumi-nee' if we—That is… Uhm…" The redhead's face became so dark, Gumi could have sworn that the shade of red on her cheeks matched her red hair.

Gumi sighed. "Miki-chan, what're you trying to say?"

"It'd be strange to call you 'Gumi-nee' if we ended up dating," Miki mumbled, before she wrapped her arms around Gumi's torso, and buried her face into the crook of the green haired girl's neck. The heat that came from Miki's cheeks burned against Gumi's neck. "So… I thought it'd be better if I started calling you something else… Maybe a special nickname for you, or something.." She sighed, and hugged the other girl a little tighter. "But I couldn't think of anything, so I'm going with 'Gumi-chan' for now."

Startled by the sudden hug, and somewhat flustered by the words of the younger girl, Gumi felt her cheeks flush as well. Her eyes avoided looking down at the innocent girl attached to her, and focused on a nearby tree. But she had to say something in reply, didn't she?

Sensing how flustered, and somewhat uncomfortable Gumi felt, Miki decided to fill the silence herself. "Unless you don't want me to call you that," she added, as she stared past the opening of the white hoodie and peered at the older girl's exposed collar bone. "I don't mind going back to 'Gumi-nee' if it's a problem for you—"

"N-no, I didn't—It's fine," Gumi stammered out. "I don't mind being called 'Gumi-chan'… It's just… You caught me off guard when you called me that, that's all…"

Miki smiled slightly, and shut her eyes. She drew herself closer to Gumi, inhaling the other girl's perfume. "Really?"

"Y-yeah… Just—You know… Er… Gimme some time to figure out a nickname for you or something…."

The redhead giggled. "Okay, Gumi-chan."

The giggle sent a shiver up Gumi's spine, and she felt her heart beat quicken. She finally looked down at the other girl, a hint of a smile strewn across her face. Gumi awkwardly wrapped an arm around Miki, and placed her chin on top of the mop of red hair. Eyes closed as she took in a deep breath, and relaxed her shoulders. Something about this younger girl put her at ease, and she was going to savor the peaceful moment as long as possible.

The pair sat in silence, enjoying one another's company. Time passed, and neither cared that the temperature was rapidly dropping. The colder it became, the closer together they sat. It wasn't long before the azure sky became painted with shades of pink and orange as the sun set over the horizon. A chilly autumn breeze rolled in, forcing the younger girl to cling to the older girl even tighter.

Gumi sighed, and rubbed at the back of her neck with her free hand. "We should get going," she said quietly, almost sounding disappointed.

Was that possible?

"Ah—Y-yes, we should," Miki agreed as she shivered. Carefully, she un-wrapped her arms from around Gumi's waist, and after a second's hesitation, planted a kiss on the green haired girl's cheek. Her small hands gripped the metal bar of the jungle gym, and she slid between one of the openings. A smile was on her face as she hung from the bars, and she looked up at the shocked greenette. Gumi was staring back at her with a scarlet face, clearly flustered by the simple gesture of affection. Miki's smile widened, and she winked up at Gumi. She was shaking a bit, and it wasn't long before she began to struggle to keep herself hanging in the air.

Not one to be outdone, Gumi herself gripped the metal bars beneath her and swung down right in front of Miki. Because of her athletic nature, she had no trouble keeping herself hoisted from the bars. Her emerald eyes gazed into the startled ruby eyes in front of her. "Hmph. Looks like you're having some problems there, Miki-chan," Gumi observed, the corners of her lips twitching into a smirk. "Do you need help?"

"Huh—No!" Miki was quick to answer, though her fingers were beginning to slide from the metal bar.. "I was just going to hop down into the sand anyway—Eep!" One of her hands had slipped from the bar, and it wasn't long before her other hand released the bar as well. "Ah, ah, oh no-?" Miki gulped, and stared into those brilliant eyes.

The green haired girl before her had snaked an arm around the waist of the blushing redhead. Gumi pressed her forehead to Miki's, and her smirk shifted into a genuine, but tiny, smile. "I'm not going to let you fall," she said quietly, her emerald eyes searching the red pair in front of her. "So you can calm down, alright?" Her cheeks began to flush as she spoke, and she did her best to ignore this. "I won't let you get hurt. Ever."

Miki blushed as well, and smiled back. A soft giggle escaped her, and she wrapped her arms around Gumi's neck. She felt the other girl shift a little, adjusting the balance so she would be able to properly support the two of them with that single arm. "Kya~ Gumi-chan! What you said was so cute!"

"Wh-wh-wh-what? No—It's—I was just—"

"It was adorable, Gumi-chan!" Miki continued, the smile on her face only widening. "I like when you say things like that. It just makes you so cool, but it's so cute at the same time."

Gumi's cheeks only darkened in color. "Sh-shut up…"

"Make me," Miki challenged. "You won't make me shut up."

"I can drop you."

"Wh-wh-No! Don't do that!"

Gumi smirked. "I could."

"I—No! That would be bad!"

Gumi was careful not to point out the fact that they were roughly two feet above the sand, so no real damage would occur if she were to release Miki. "I might."

"You wouldn't—"

Gumi unwrapped her arm from around Miki's waist.

"AH! AH! GUMI-CHAN!" Despite the fact that Miki was wearing a red skirt skirt paired black stockings and loose fitting, cloth, black boots, she was quick to keep her arms wrapped around Gumi's neck _and_ wrap her legs around the green haired girl's waist.

Instantly, Gumi's face became scarlet. "What—What're you doing! Quit it!" she spluttered, as she tried to keep the two of them lofted in the air. "If you keep moving we're gonna fall!"

"I DON'T WANT TO FALL! I DON'T WANT TO! SAVE ME, GUMI-CHAN—EEEP!"

"AH!"

The two of them landed on the sand with a thud, a cloud of sand quickly enveloping the pair when they hit the sand. With a few coughs and some grunts of pain, the sand cloud dissipated, leaving the pair to realize their situation. Unlike the time they had fallen out of a tree, Miki was seated on Gumi's stomach, and the green haired girl was sprawled out on her back. The pair locked eyes, and both blushed.

"Ah—Ah—_Ano—_Th-thank you for.. For.. Uhm…" Miki stumbled over her words, her cheeks quickly darkening with each passing second. Hastily, she shifted, and went to stand up, only to find Gumi grip onto her fitted navy sweater. "Ah—Gumi…chan?" She looked down at the other girl, worried that the older girl may have been injured from the fall. _"Daijoubu?"_

Gumi sat up, and wrapped both arms around Miki's waist. "Yeah, I'm fine," she said quietly.

The redhead smiled a little bit, relieved to hear that Gumi was fine. She blinked several times, and then realized that she was now seated on the green haired girl's lap. "Ah-… W-well, we should probably get going if we want to make it in time for dinner."

"Eh. I'm She gave Miki a lopsided smile before she leaned in and kissed the younger girl. It was a gentle kiss, her lips gently pressed against the others. To be honest, Gumi was afraid that she would be rejected, even though she knew how much Miki liked her. And it was almost a surprise to feel the younger girl respond by slowly moving her lips. Gumi smiled slightly, and held Miki tighter, almost possessively.  
>Not that the redhead minded. Though her cheeks were burning, Miki gripped onto the black leather, and then slowly wrapped her arms around Gumi's neck. The pair stayed like this, completely absorbed by one another's tastes and touch, continuing to kiss without taking notice to time or the surroundings.<p>

They only separated when a cold breeze blew up a skirt, and caused Miki to gasp, and bury her face into Gumi's neck.

The green haired girl stiffened a little, thinking that she had done something wrong. "Huh—S-sorry—I—You okay?" Gumi asked, her face completely red now. It had only hit her now that she had been kissing—no, making out, with Miki. In public. As much as she enjoyed that moment…

It was still embarrassing.

Gumi felt the smaller girl nod into her neck. "Y-yeah… Just a chill is all," Miki explained.

"Oh… I thought—nevermind."

"Huh?"

"I thought you stopped because…" Gumi began to mumble.

"Gumi-chan?"

Gumi frowned a little and then groaned. "I thought you stopped because I was a bad kisser."

There was a stretch of silence, which was only broken by a giggle from the redhead. Miki lifted her head up and gave Gumi a quick kiss on the lips. A smile was on her face as she pressed their foreheads together and stared into those flustered green eyes. "You're not a bad kisser, Gumi-chan," she stated, her voice soft and reassuring.

"Wh-wh-wh—"

"I promise! You're really good, actually!" The redhead laughed, and stood up. "But—Ah—We should get going, it's already dark." Miki gestured at the lit streetlamps and light posts that surrounded the park. Still smiling, she began to walk away, only to stumble, and clutch onto one of the metal bars over head for support. "Ow, ow…"

Instantly, Gumi jumped up and put an arm around Miki. "Hey—Hey—you okay?"

"Ah-… My ankle…" Miki looked down at her left foot and winced. "I think… I might have injured it when we fell…" She looked at Gumi helplessly. "It hurts to walk…"

The green haired girl was quiet for a second before she sighed, and shrugged her shoulders. "Guess I'll have to help you home," Gumi said, before she turned her back to Miki. "C'mon, hop on."

"…What?"

"I said hop on," Gumi repeated herself. "I'll carry you home. It'd be faster this way."

Miki hesitated, but then slowly climbed onto Gumi's back. She wrapped her arms around the green haired girl's neck. She felt the older girl shift, and cool leather wrapped themselves beneath Miki's legs. The redhead rested her head between her arm and Gumi's neck, and sighed. "Th-thanks…"

"It's not a problem," Gumi shrugged, and carefully crouched down beneath the entrance way to the jungle gym. With a grunt, she shifted Miki and began to walk home. "Besides, I should be the one thanking you. You came to check up on me, didn't you?"

"Y-yes, I did," the younger girl smiled a little bit, and shut her eyes. "You hadn't been home all day, and you didn't answer your phone… So I thought something might be wrong, and I decided to come and find you." She shifted and buried her face into Gumi's neck and hair once more. "If you were upset, I didn't want you to be alone. It's better to talk to people when you're feeling upset or stressed, you know."

"Eh… I know. But I've got Miku-chan for that… And you, too, Miki-chan," Gumi replied. "I just wanted to do some thinking was all."

"Ah… I see…."

Gumi nodded, and continued to walk. "But… Thanks for coming to check on me," she added. "I appreciate that." She paused, and glanced at the smiling redhead. "Can I say something, too?"

"Huh? What is it?"

"When you stood up," the green haired girl began. "Er… I kind of saw."

"Saw what?"

"Er… Red and white."

"Huh?"

"Red and white striped panties," Gumi mumbled, before she looked away in embarrassment.

Miki groaned, and buried her face into the white hood of Gumi's hoodie. "NOOOOOOOO!"

"They suit you better than those polka dot ones—ACK, QUIT IT! DON'T HOLD ON SO TIGHTLY—CAN'T—BREATHE-!"

The younger girl had unthinkingly tightened her grip around Gumi's neck. Frantic, she stuttered out a string of words. "You saw—Panties—NO! PERVERT!"

"MIKI!"

"S-sorry!" Miki immediately slackened her near-chokehold on Gumi.

The green haired girl coughed. She grunted, and walked up the driveway to the mansion in silence.  
>It seemed she would have to be careful about what she said around Miki. And avoid any accidental panty shots at all costs.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Day 3 – Tuesday<strong>

The trio sat at the low, triangular glass table, seated on top of cushion, and each wearing vastly different expressions. Though they each had a slice of cake and a cup of steaming tea set before them, none of them had so much as touched their servings. The eldest of the group seemed somewhat uncomfortable with the situation, and she wasn't sure why she had been invited to have tea with the others. She shifted in her seat, and clutched the hem of her red and white plaid skirt. Her icy blue eyes were focused on the slice of cake that had been neatly placed in front of her.

"Ah… I was wondering… Not that I'm trying to be rude," Luka stammered. "But, Iroha-chan, why did you invite me here? I do like your apartment, but—"

"Ne, ne, Luka-nee!" The hostess laughed, and waved her hand at the older pinkette. Her golden eyes reflected her good-humored nature. Those brilliant gold eyes, coupled with her infectious smile, put Luka at ease. "I just wanted to see if the two of you were okay, that's all! Since… I know things have been crazy back at the mansion, ne?"

"The two of us—"

"She means you and me, Lu-chan," the previously silent blonde sighed. Lily picked her fork up and scooped up a piece of the cake. Her deep blue eyes closed as she chomped down on the cake.

Luka looked at her best friend, and then back at their cat-like hostess. "Ah—Is that so?"

"Yuppers!" Iroha nodded and continued to grin. "I don't like seeing two best friends like this. Too much tension and all." She waved her hand once more. "It's not very nice to see. It's sad, really. A kitty and a puppy, even though they're very different, should still get along."

At this, the puppy and kitten in question exchanged looks.  
><em>Was Iroha really as sane as everyone claimed she was?<em>

"Well… That's…" Luka struggled to find the right words.

"Stupid. We're best friends, though, Iroha. We can manage our own problems, thanks," Lily said dismissively, as she shoved another forkful of cake into her mouth. Since her run in with Iroha, she had become slightly on edge when the cat-like girl was around. It was something that she couldn't help, since the younger girl had made her question her actions and emotions. Lily swallowed the cake and looked at Iroha apprehensively. "But I wanna know how you think you can… 'Help us'."

Iroha's grin only widened. She put an elbow on the table, and rested her head in her open palm. "Nya~ I'm going to mediate, of course!" she stated, as if this should have been clear since the beginning. "You two can talk amongst yourselves, and I'll help both of you out!"

"What?"

"Oh! That's actually a good idea!" Luka smiled slightly. "A peer mediation group, like what they do for some kids in high school, right?"

The hostess nodded. "Un! Exactly, Luka-nee!"

Lily wanted to slam her head onto the table. Now there was no escaping this if Luka agreed to it.

"Now, who wants to start?" Iroha asked, as she brought her teacup to her lips. "We can be really honest here. It's a safe environment, ya know." The corners of her mouth twitched with a hint of amusement. "Just let it all out and tell the other how you feel."

"Me! I'll go first!" Luka's hand shot up. "Ah, but I can't stay for too long. I need to leave in…" She glanced at her silver wrist watch. "Maybe 20 minutes."

Iroha nodded. "Okie dokes~ That should be plenty of time for you to talk!"

"Alright, then I'll start then," Luka stated.

Lily stared at her best friend. "Oh geez—"

"Lily-chan! I don't approve of your methods!" The older pinkette said, as she gripped onto the handle of her tea cup. "You hurting Miki-chan, Gumi-chan, and Miku-chan was completely wrong, and I'm extremely disappointed with you. I don't understand why you did that… Playing with people's emotions is awful. It's a dangerous thing to do, and of course people are going to be extremely upset with you…" She sighed, and took a sip from her tea. "Miki-chan is very forgiving, and I'm sure Miku-chan will be able to forgive you soon enough, if she hasn't already. Gumi-chan…" She grimaced. "Will take some time to come around, but… I'm not so sure I can forgive you."

The blonde stiffened in her seat, and stared at her best friend. "You can't… Forgive me?" Lily repeated in disbelief, her blue eyes wide with shock. 'What—"

"That's not what I said," Luka frowned slightly. "Well.. Let me rephrase it. I'm not sure I want to forgive you so soon. It's just… I never expected something like that from you," she said quietly, her eyes downcast. "It's something I may have expected from Meiko-san, but from you?" The distraught girl shook her head. "You're my best friend, and I thought I knew everything about you. I thought you were playful, and a joker. But I also knew that you could be very serious about things, and you would protect others." She paused. "At least… I thought that's how you were. But after finding out that you would stoop so low as to pull a stunt like _that?_ It made me wonder if you're the same girl I became friends with…"

Iroha's smile faded slightly upon hearing Luka's thoughts. _Well, this isn't good…_

"What—I'm the same person!" Lily exclaimed, as she tried to defend herself. "I just—It wasn't supposed to turn into this big mess."

"Then what _was_ supposed to happen?" Luka asked, as she glared at the blonde.

Lily flinched. "Just… I don't know… I was thinking it'd distract Miku-chan from you, and then I'd be able to move in and win you over or something…" Now it was her turn to look down at the half eaten cake and tea laid before her.

Luka sighed, and shook her head.

"But… You're right," Lily said softly. "I was wrong, and you have every right to be upset with me. I was being selfish and I didn't stop to think about how badly it would hurt everyone," she continued. "So… I'm sorry. The plan's done, and I'm not going to try and do something like that ever again…"

Iroha watched the two carefully. She wanted to interrupt and lighten the mood, but she knew that these two needed to come to some sort of peace.

"I just miss being able to talk to you," Lily added. She looked up from her cake and frowned at Luka. "We're _best friends_. We shouldn't ignore each other… But I understand if you don't wanna talk to me or be friendly or anything." With a shrug of her shoulders, she finished up the remaining half of her cake. "It's fine. And don't worry. I'm gonna apologize to them, too. I can't just apologize to you, right? So I'm gonna let 'em know that I'm sorry for what I did and that they have every right to be pissed at me."

Luka looked at Lily, surprised that the blonde was able to agree with her. Normally, Lily would protest and claim that things were not her fault, simply because she had such a stubborn nature. But this…  
>Was different.<br>"Ah… You—"

"Look, I just don't want to fight or anything, that's all," Lily shrugged. "I just miss my best friend is all."

Both Iroha and Luka stared at Lily.

"…Are you feeling okay?" the eldest girl asked, as she leaned over across the small table. She stretched an arm out, and pressed the back of her hand against the blonde's forehead.

Lily jerked back, away from Luka's touch. "What—I said all that and you just ask if I'm okay?" she scoffed, sounding insulted. "I'm fine! Geez!"

"You must have a cold."

"What—No!" The blonde pushed Luka's hand away, and gave her friend a grin. "I'm _fine,_ geez, Lu-chan. I'm not sick—"

"Maybe—"

"And I'm not possessed by a demon," Lily finished, knowing what her friend would say next. She laughed, and took a sip of her tea. "I can't apologize without being genuine about it or something?"

Luka laughed, and sat back down in her seat. "Oh, be quiet."

The quiet mediator grinned at Lily's cheeky comment. "Nya~ It looks like remediation was a success!" She squealed, as she clapped her hands enthusiastically. She gave the pair of friend's two thumbs up, and winked cheekily. "Everything's back to normal, right? You're both joking around again, and smiling! I bet you two haven't done that since feelings became involved, right? Right?"

Lily opened her mouth to protest with a cheeky comment, but realized that Iroha was right. Ever since they had both admitted that they had feelings for one another, their friendship had become incredibly strained. It was taxing for the two of them to keep up their friendship without wanting to delve into anything more, especially on Lily's part. The blonde mused over Iroha's words, and realized that she was primarily responsible for the strain. Several times she had found herself taking advantage of how much Luka trusted her, especially the incident where she had the pinkette half-naked. She shook her head in disgust, repulsed by her manipulative actions.  
>What had happened to them?<p>

The blonde turned her deep blue eyes to look at her best friend, and she grimaced when she saw the expression on Luka's face. The pinkette had always been easy to read; the girl wore her heart on her sleeve and was an open book. Like Lily, Luka had also had an epiphany at the mention of their strained friendship. It was clear from the expression painted on her face that Luka had not been happy at the sudden change in their relationship.  
>And that bothered Lily to the core.<p>

Suddenly, Luka shook her head, smiled, and stood up. "Ah, well, I believe you're right, Iroha-chan," she agreed. "Things feel a lot better now. I feel… Like I have my best friend again." The busty woman gave her childhood friend a warm smile, and Lily found herself reciprocating it. The atmosphere within the apartment had drastically softened. "But I do need to get going. Thank you for having me over." A pause as she bowed at the youngest member of their group. "And thank you so much for… Helping us. You're quiet an amazing person for finding a way to get us to sort through the tension."

Iroha laughed, and rubbed the back of her head in mock embarrassment, and stuck her tongue out. "Ehehehe, I didn't really do anthing," she feigned being humble. "But if you want to keep praising me, I don't mind it at all."

"Oi… Iroha… What kinda response is that?" Lily asked, as she facepalmed.

The cat-like girl continued to grin, and simply shrugged her shoulders in response. "A good one?"

The blonde reached over and put the laughing Iroha into a headlock. She mercilessly ground her fist into the cat-like girl's head. "Learn to be humble, kid!" she reprimanded, unable to hide the grin on her face.

"Ack! Lily-chan! Quit it! What'd I do wrong?"

"Oi! Who said you could call me 'Lily-chan'! It should be 'Lily-senpai' or something!"

"_Gomen, gomen!_" A giggle. "But 'Lily-chan' is cuter than 'Lily-senpai'—AH!"

"'Lily-_sama_' would be best! Call me 'Lily-sama!'"

"EH!"

Luka watched the pair, and her smile widened. It was good to see Lily become so friendly with someone else. It had been a while since she had seen the blonde pick on someone besides herself. In fact…  
>She blinked several times and continued to observe Lily and Iroha's bantering, her blue eyes dissecting the scene before her.<br>Lily seemed to be genuinely happy as she picked on the cat-like Vocaloid. Her old, cheeky grin was back as she continued to grind her fist into Iroha's already messy hair. Ocean blue eyes were void of the pain that had been present for the past few months, and its place were the emotions of content and something else. Something Luka couldn't quite put her finger on.  
>Iroha was always playful, but the look in those golden eyes seemed different. They were full of the young Vocaloids normal joy and confidence, as well as that omnipresent hint of mischief. But there was another emotion displayed in those eyes.<p>

_Oh._

The smile on Luka's face only softened at this realization. Well, wasn't this an interesting development?  
>She picked up her purse from the floor, and slung it over her shoulder. "Right then. I'll be leaving now," she informed the pair as she began to head in the directions of the door.<p>

"Eh—You gotta go now, Lu-chan?" Lily looked up from her assault on the younger pinkette. Her blue eyes looked a little puzzled, but she shrugged. She released Iroha from her grasp. "Do you need someone to walk with you? I don't mind walkin' to the station—"

"Ah, no, no!" Luka shook her head, and laughed. "It's alright. I'll be fine on my own." She waved, and continued to walk towards the exit. She rounded the corner, and stopped, staying hidden from the others view. There were still a few minutes until she had to actually leave the apartment building to catch her train.  
>How could she possibly leave when there was something incredibly interesting going on here.<p>

From her seat, Iroha had simply waved a hand at the departing girl. "Bye-bye—NYEH!" she yowled, and rubbed her head, golden eyes glaring at the fist that had knocked her on the head. "Nyaaaa… Lily-chaaaan, what was that for—ARAI!"

Lily smacked her on the head once more. "What did I tell you to call me?"

"…_Baka inu?_"

The blonde stared at Iroha. "…Did you just call me a 'stupid dog'?" she asked, unsure if she should facepalm, or smack Iroha once more.

The younger girl grinned cheekily and stuck her tongue out. "Maybe?"

"…Go die." Lily set the empty plates and tea cups onto the serving dish. She snorted, picked the tray up, and made way to the kitchen.

"Eeeeeeh! It was a joke!" Iroha whined. She stood up and followed the tall blonde into the kitchen. "Come baaaack!"

Lily set the dishes into the sink and picked up the sponge. While working on the dishes, she shook her head at the whines of the younger girl. "Seriously, is there a time where you're _not_ annoying? Can't you be normal and call me 'Lily-san' or something?"

Iroha hopped up onto the counter area beside the sink, and swung her legs out. "Eh? That's not as fun, though," she explained. "Besides, 'sama' is way more respectful!"

"You don't call anyone else 'sama'," Lily pointed out.

"Because I don't respect them as much as I respect you." The young Vocaloid blinked. "Isn't that obvious?" She leaned forward and wrapped an arm around Lily's shoulders. "Ne?"

Lily jerked back, and felt her cheeks flush. "Oi! What're you doing?" she snapped. "Why're you so clingy?"

Iroha answered with a straight face ."'Clingy'? I'm not being clingy. I just want to be as close to you as possible."

"Oi…" Her already red face darkened as she turned her ocean blue eyes away from Iroha. "Don't say things like that with such a straight face. People might take that the wrong way," Lily muttered, as she lightly smacked the sponge against Iroha's cheek.

"Does that bother you?"

"No."

"So if it's okay if I want to get closer to you?"

"…Sure."

"We should go on a date, then!"

"What?"

"Please?"

"Ugh… Just… stop being annoying so I can wash the dishes…"

"I'm going to take that as a 'yes', then."

Lily smacked Iroha with the sponge once more, and grinned as the cat unhappily wiped away the foamy suds from her face.  
>Ever since that damned conversation she had with Iroha about whether or not her wretched plan was morally correct, Lily had found herself unable to rid herself of thoughts involving the cat-like girl. And it troubled her that even Iroha's Cheshire grin plagued her dreams. To make matters worse, these thoughts and dreams only intensified after that kiss. The grin on her face faded slightly.<br>Dreams about Iroha?  
>Gross…<p>

Iroha hopped off of the counter, but kept her arm slung around Lily's slender shoulders. Golden orbs looked over the blonde, a thoughtful glint within them. Without another word, she giggled, and kissed Lily on the cheek. "Nya~ _Baka inu-sama_, you look like you have a lot on your mind!" she sang, before she skipped off to the couch.

"Wha—I told you to quit it!" Lily shot back, annoyed that she could feel her cheeks begin to burn. "Hey, you! Wash your own dishes! Don't let a guest do all of the house work!" She threw the soapy sponge into the sick and chased after the fleeing Iroha. "GET BACK HERE!"

Laughter filled the apartment as the two through taunts and hollow threats at one another. Megurine Luka stood by the apartment door, and smiled to herself as she twisted the doorknob open. Although several emotions played across her face, and several thoughts rain through her mind, she set them aside and stepped out into the hallway.  
>She had a train to catch, and it was time for her to go.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Day 6 – Friday<strong>

"Oi, Miku."

_Knock, knock._

Gumi stared at the sign hanging on the door, her emerald eyes re-reading "_Hatsune Miku"_ over and over again. From behind the door, she could hear the melody played out by the piano contained within the room. Teeth clenched together as her patience thinned. Once more, she rapped on the door with her knuckles. "Miku! Don't ignore me!"

No answer.

"You texted me to come over and talk to you, so open the door up before I kick it down!"

Silence.

"FINE. GUESS I'LL JUST KICK THE DOOR DOWN!" Gumi shouted at the door, as she drew her foot back in preparation for the kick.

Before her foot could make contact with the wood, the door swung open. The tealette stood before her, a smile plastered onto her face. "Sorry, sorry! I just needed to finish practicing," she explained, as she stepped aside to allow her best friend to enter the room. "I didn't think you would come over right away, actually. I sort of figured you would be studying for the entrance exams for the universities. We are 18 now… I was kind of surprised that you decided to take a year off like I did instead of going to a university." She followed the greenette to the couch, and plopped down on one end.

Gumi shrugged her shoulders and sat down on the other end of the couch. "Eh. I just wanted to save up some more money before I go to school," she replied.

"But you could always go to school, and then schedule all of your recording sessions for the weekend," Miku pointed out. "And commuting wouldn't be much of a problem since we have private cars, and you could take a train, too."

"Look, I have my reasons for wanting to be home during the day, okay?" Gumi snapped, as she frowned at the grinning tealette.

"'Reasons'?" Miku repeated, as her smile morphed into a grin. "Like?"

"None of your _damned_ business, that's what," the green haired girl said, as she tugged on the drawstrings to her favorite orange hoodie.

"It's Miki-chan, isn't it?"

Gumi's face became red in an instant. "NO!"

"I knew it!" Miku giggled as she shifted and sat on her legs. "I knew you liked her more than you let on!"

Gumi tried to give the over excited tealette her most intimidating glare.  
>And then she realized that Miku had never been affected by said glare.<p>

_Damn it._

"She told me about the playground incident," Miku interrupted Gumi's thoughts.

"Huh?"

The tealette's grin became that of a knowing smirk. "You know! What happened the other day when you two were at the playground… She told me all about it~"

The muscles in Gumi's shoulders tensed as she stared at Miku with a scarlet face and expression of embarrassment. Did Miki actually tell Miku…?  
>"Wh-wh—"<p>

"Tongues, hm? I didn't know your relationship with her had developed so quickly! Kyaaa~ The two of you are so cute!" Miku hugged herself at the thought of how close her two best friends were to dating.

"_T-tongues?"_

"Un. Miki-chan said you were getting a little aggressive towards the end," the tealette said nonchalantly. "Not that she minded, of course." A pause as she started giggling once more. "You should have seen her, Gumi-chan! Miki-chan's face became all red and she started stuttering when I kept asking her to give me details—What?"

Gumi stretched across the couch and gripped onto the collar of Miku's white button down. "You harassed her!"

"Did not! I just kept asking her what happened until she finally told me!"

"What the hell, Miku? !" The green haired girl began to shake the tealette back and forth. "You know she gets flustered pretty easily!" The blush that started at her cheeks quickly enveloped her entire face, even reaching as far as her ears. "None of it's your business, anyway!"

Miku gave her panicked friend a suggestive grin, and wiggled her brows. "Apparently you were pretty forward, ne? Forcing your tongue in, and your hands—"

"JUST SHUT UP!"

The tealette was mercilessly shaken.

And this act of aggression did nothing to silence those giggles. "Ne, ne! Have you asked her out yet?"

The shaking ceased, and Gumi stared at Miku, her expression blank. "…Huh?"

Miku's smile faded slightly. She knew Gumi could be dense when it came to the dating world, but…  
>"You know… To be your girlfriend?"<p>

"…Uh…"

"You haven't."

"L-look, you," the green haired girl spluttered, as she turned her head and looked away from Miku. She released one hand from the shirt, and scratched at her cheek awkwardly. "I was gonna get around to it…"

"Seriously?"

"…Eventually."

"'Eventually'?"

"…Maybe…"

Miku sighed, and shook her head. Carefully, she pried Gumi's hand from her shirt, and sat up. "Mou, Gumi-chan," she pouted. "If you like Miki-chan so much, you two should just make it official."

Uneasiness flashed across the normally snarky girl's face. It was rare to see Gumi so uncomfortable, but it couldn't be help given what had happened the last time Gumi was in a relationship. When Gumi and Miku's relationship began, the media exploded, and so did the green haired girls parents. And when the relationship ended, the media exploded once more, but nothing had been heard from the green haired girl's parents…

"I… No, I can't do that," Gumi mumbled, as she sank back onto the couch cushion, arms shoved into the kangaroo pouch of her hoodie.

"Why's that?" Miku asked, as she looked at her friend patiently. "Are you scared that the media'll say bad things about you and Miki-chan?"

Gumi snorted, and rolled her eyes. "Fuck the media," she spat out, her tone bitter. "I could care less what they have to say. But Miki-chan... I don't want them to talk trash about her. "Emerald eyes narrowed as she glared at a spot on the floor.

The tealette rubbed at the back of her neck, and sighed. "But, Gumi-chan, I don't think Miki-chan would care what they have to say, since she'd have you," she said gently. After a moment's hesitation, she placed one hand on her friend's shoulder, and smiled slightly. "I don't think you realize how happy you make her. And…" Another short pause. "I know that's not the only thing that's holding you back."

The muscles beneath Miku's hand tensed, and the shoulder jerked away, as if the contact was burning the green haired girl. "Shut up. You don't know what you're saying," Gumi snapped, her emerald eyes blazing as they turned to glare into Miku's teal ones.

"But, Gumi-chan—"

"No. Stop." Gumi stood up and continued to glower at Miku. "Don't even go there."

Miku frowned up at her friend. "I know you're worried about what your parents will think if the two of you date," she said, carefully choosing her words. "But you can't let that hold you back—"

"I told you to shut up!"

"Gumi-chan… You can't let that hold you down for the rest of your life," Miku said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I know how hurt you were after that, but…It's all in the past. You have to put that behind you and move on." When she saw that Gumi had opened her mouth to protest, Miku raised a hand and quickly spoke. "Look, I'm your best friend. I remember what happened—"

"And you remember how horrible things were after that, right?"

"Yes," Miku nodded once. "But things will be different this time around. They don't talk to you, and you even said that you don't consider them family anymore. What they said to you was awful, and they had no right to say those things or treat you that way. And they can't say the same thing twice because they already know what you're like. And besides…"

Gumi snorted, and glowered at the tealette, wondering what Miku could possibly say now.

The smile on Miku's face was genuine, and she raised her shoulders in a lazy shrug. "We're your family now. Everyone here in the mansion. We love you for you, and we won't let anyone talk about you or Miki-chan in a negative way. Heck, I bet everyone would fight the media if we had to. Especially Gakupo-nii," she added. "And you know I'd go and give your parents my opinion if it came down to it. There's no way I'd let them treat you like that again. And, plus, I bet Miki-chan would want to say something to them, too."

The green haired girl blinked several times, her cheeks flushing slightly. "Erk-… Y-yeah?" she muttered, as she looked away from her best friend. "Well… Thanks for that…"

"Yuppers! So does that mean you'll ask Miki-chan out soon?"

"…Probably…"

"Yay!" Miku grinned, and gave her best friend two thumbs up. "And after Miki-chan and I yell at your parents—that is, if we have to yell at them and stuff—then you can take Miki-chan back and do all sorts of—"

"YEAH, OKAY, I GET IT!" Gumi shouted, as she began to rush towards the door. There was no way in _hell_ she would stick around to hear anymore of Miku's comments. "THANKS FOR THAT."

At this, Miku couldn't help but giggle. "Don't forget to ask out Miki-chan, soon~" she sang, as the door slammed shut behind Gumi. "Kyaaa~ Young love."

* * *

><p><strong>Present Day – Saturday Morning<strong>

"Hmph… An even after all that, I still haven't gotten around to talking to Miki-chan," Gumi mumbled, as she leaned back into the black leather seats of the stretch limousine. She pushed up the sleeve to her leather jacket, and looked at her bright orange wrist watch.

10:00.

Even after her speed shower, and donning the first decent outfit she could find, she was pushing it. The girl sighed, and ran her fingers through her hair.

Whatever.

She still had to pick up another Vocaloid anyway. And she was beyond the point of caring about keeping to her schedule now.

The limousine slowed to a halt outside of an apartment complex. Outside of the tall building stood a scared looking girl, who was clutching onto the hand of a tall, suited man. When the limo came to a halt before the pair, the young girl let out a sigh of relief. Gumi reached over and opened the door to the limo, allowing the girl to climb inside. Immediately, the younger girl launched herself at Gumi, arms wrapping themselves around the greenette in a tight hug.

"Thanks for watching Yu-chii, Kiyoteru-san," the greenette said, as she waved at the man.

Kiyoteru smiled, and nodded his head. "Not a problem, Gumi-chan. Little Yuki-chan here was about to have a nervous breakdown from waiting for you for so long."

"I didn't wake up late!"

"I never said you did."

"Er—Whatever. See ya, Kiyoteru-san," Gumi muttered, as she turned her attention to the girl attached to her torso.

The elder Vocaloid grinned. "Have fun at the studio today," he said, before he closed the door to the limo.

Once the door was shut, the limo began to move once more.

"Oi, Yu-chii," Gumi gave the smaller girl a lopsided smile. "You need to calm down, okay?"

Kaai Yuki peered up at the older girl with her large, brown eyes. "Nn… But, but, Onee-chan, I thought something bad happened to you!" she admitted, her voice somewhat muffled by the leather jacket worn by the greenette. "I got scared…"

The elder girl shook her head, and sat the pig-tailed brunette down beside her. "Aw, c'mon," Gumi made a face. "You really think something would have happened to me?"

"W-well…"

"Look, I'm fine, see?" As if to reassure the smaller girl, Gumi patted herself down. "No injuries or anything. So quit worrying. It's not like I'm going to drop dead or something—"

"D-drop dead?" Yuki squeaked. Her eyes widened, and she threw her arms around Gumi's torso once more. "DON'T DIE, ONEE-CHAN!"

Gumi stiffened at the sudden contact. She groaned, and looked out the window.  
><em>Great.<em>

* * *

><p>The group stood in the recording booth, each focused on the sheet music that had been placed on the music stands before them. An arch had been formed around the two microphones before them. Originally they had been planning on standing in a certain order, mainly by their solo lines, but that had not worked out. Instead, they merely stepped into line, sticking close to their friends. After they were lined up, they became silent, occasionally speaking to one another when a question came up about their entrance within the song. But the somewhat tense atmosphere was not broken until someone finally decided to voice their worries.<p>

"Ano… Does anyone know where Gumi-chan is?" Furukawa Miki asked, as she flipped back to the first page of the music. She stood at one end of the arch, with no one to her left. Her ruby eyes looked at the other members of the room, hoping someone would know where Gumi was.

To Miki's right, Rin stood, arms folded across her chest and a scowl on her face. "Nope."

"I think she slept in," Miku offered from Rin's other side, as she playfully patted the shorter girl on the head. Of course she knew Rin was jealous that Miki was thinking about Gumi; everyone in the house had noticed Rin carefully watching Gumi for any sign of hostility towards her _Onee-sama._ "Right, Luka-senpai?"

The pinkette and icy blue eyed girl nodded. "Probably. Gumi-chan does like to sleep—"

"Who cares?" Meiko scoffed, from the other end of the arch. "We don't need her."

Iroha laughed, and shook her head. She looked up at the tall brunette. "Nya~ Meiko-nee, we do need Gumi-san, actually. She has some solo lines, you know."

Lily nodded from Iroha's other side. "Yup. Can't sing the song if we're missing a soloist. Two, actually… Yuki-chan isn't here, either…"

At this, everyone within the arch had to nod in agreement.

"I'M HERE!" The door to the booth had been thrown open, and a slightly breathless Gumi stood in the doorway. Hands were on her kneecaps as she stood there while she caught her breath. "I'm here… We can start now."

The entire group stared at the green haired girl.

"Where's Yuki-chan?" Miki asked, as she gave the tardy girl a warm smile. "You said you would pick her up—"

Gumi rolled her eyes, and reached behind her. She strode across the room, her hand held by the 9 year-old brunette who stumbled after her. "Right here." Gumi stopped beside Miki, and likewise, Yuki stood on Gumi's free side.

Yuki looked up at everyone and gave them a nervous smile. It wasn't that she didn't _like_ the rest of the girls, she was simply shy. "S-sorry we're late," she apologized, as she tiny hands released Gumi's, and opted to clutch onto the orange hoodie. "Gumi-chan stopped the limo and bought me a crepe for breakfast…"

At this _everyone_ stared at Gumi once more.

Gumi never bought anyone anything for breakfast when they all had to go to the studio together.

The greenette scowled at the rest of the group. "What?" she snapped. "Yu-chii was freaking out 'cause she thought I was going to die, and she said she was hungry, and I needed to calm her down—"

"Ne, ne! Gumi-chan's such a good big sister!" Miku giggled, as she grinned at her best friend, who was beginning to blush from embarrassment.

Miki continued to smile up at Gumi. "Aw, Gumi-chan! That's so cute! I didn't know you and Yuki-chan were that close!"

"L-Look you," Gumi stuttered. "She's just a little kid—I just—Look, just shut up!"

The others giggled, save for Meiko. The eldest girl snorted, and looked at the window where their producers and mixers were standing. "Whatever. Can we just start the song now?"

And for once, Gumi was glad to hear Meiko talk, for the rest of the group quieted down and put their headphones on.

* * *

><p>The beat to the song began to play, and Miku closed her teal eyes as she prepared herself to sing the opening lines.<br>_"Monday morning is different than usual."_

Next came Rin.  
><em>"I wonder if you can tell from my hair style?"<em>

And then Meiko took over the melody with her powerful voice.  
><em>"I shortened my skirt by 10 centimeters…"<em>

Gumi had to stifle a snort at this line. It sounded like something Meiko would do to capture Kaito's attention. But her thoughts were interrupted by the soprano voice that came from the redhead beside her.

"_It's a girl's heart to want to make your heart beat faster."_ Miki

"_From outside the window,"_ both Yuki and Iroha sang.

Luka gained the melody, and then traded it off to Lily.  
><em>"I can hear your laughing voice."<em>

"_Even just by that, the inside of my chest hurts…"_

Gumi blinked a few times as she listened to the lyrics. She shook her head, and sang the last solo line before the rest joined in with the chorus.  
><em>"Don't talk."<em>

"_I know the truth  
>That this feeling that I fell for you is 'the start'<br>I'm no longer a child, so I want everything  
>I'm a selfish kid<br>I want all of your attention  
>Look only at me<br>Can I ask you for a great favor?  
>It's the secret after-school."<em>

The beat took over, with some background "rapping". The bass carried through, and the Vocaloids found themselves nodding along to the beat of the song. Once the bass line vanished and the only a solo guitar line and clicking sang out, Meiko sang the opening line to the second verse.

"_What is it that you do on Saturday night?"_

Miki blushed, and stared at her sheet music. _"My thoughts increase whenever we can't meet."  
><em>And her thoughts instantly jumped to a certain goggled girl.

"_Even girls are interesting."_  
>Miku grinned and glanced up at Luka. To her amusement, the pink haired girl blushed, and looked away from her.<p>

Rin followed with her line,_  
>"It's the age when we want to do a lot of things."<em>

Luka, whose blush had somewhat settled down, and Lily sang their shared line.  
><em>"Avoiding other's stares."<br>_Funny how that line perfectly described the strain on their friendship that had been present only a few days ago.

"_That day's events in the classroom…"  
><em>Iroha's line.

Little Yuki sang next. She took a small step towards the microphone, and lifted her head up, hoping that it would pick up her small voice._  
>"I can't tell it to anyone… But I'm about to explode;<br>I want to tell it so badly."_

Gumi wanted to smack her head against the wall when she heard Yuki's lines. Whoever wrote this song wanted a little girl to sing _that?_  
><em>"I'm selfish."<br>_Boy, was she going to have to kick someone's ass for making Yuki sing with them in such a provocative song.

The beat became fuller as the chorus came around once more.  
><em>"I abuse you with my stares<br>My emotions are shy but happy  
>Signs that only you know, so that we can't be found out<br>Hug my tightly  
>Whenever we get closer to each other<br>I feel like I become an adult  
>It seems like this taste I know is becoming a habit<br>The secret after-school."_

The beat changed, and went into half time as an electric organ played in the background, followed by small snaps. It felt like the entire song had slowed down.

Miku's high soprano voice sang through as she began to sing._  
>"The invisible line."<em>

Rin took over next._  
>"The missing button."<em>

"_The loud beat."  
><em>As the song progressed, Luka found herself blushing from the implied meaning of the song.

And Meiko merely grinned as the song continued. _  
>"The touching hand."<em>

"_The shaking lips."_  
>Gumi gulped at the end of the line when she realized that Miki had held onto her hand at some point during the song.<p>

The bass line kicked back in, and Miki followed after with her line.  
><em>"The dripping sweat"<em>

"_The faint scent"_  
>Little Yuki sang her line, and then looked at the older girls. Her brown eyes looked confused, and she couldn't understand why some of the girls were blushing.<p>

Lily's raspy voice stood out when it came to her line.  
><em>"The waving hair"<em>

"_Close your eyes,"  
><em>Iroha sang, as she began to grin in anticipation.  
>The duet lines were up, and she was eager to see how everyone would react to the lyrics. Her golden eyes glanced over at the first pair.<p>

Rin and Luka stepped forward for their duet line.  
><em>"Lower your voice…"<em>

Iroha was slightly disappointed. Based on the grin on Rin's face, she assumed that the young blonde had no idea what the song was about. And all Luka did was close her eyes and blush.  
>Both Rin and Luka stepped back, allowing the next pair to sing.<br>And the cat-like girl had to stifle a giggle.

"_Sweet words…"_  
>Gumi glared at Meiko while she sang her line, one hand on Yuki's head, the other laced with Miki's slender fingers. Emerald eyes were shooting daggers at the oldest Vocaloid present.<br>And Meiko only grinned back at Gumi while she sang. The sober girl stepped back from the microphone once their duet line was finished, and Gumi did likewise.

The beat stopped.

Yuki and Miki stepped forward to sing their line.  
><em>"Don't talk…"<br>_Ruby eyes glanced back to meet emerald ones. The owners of those eyes both blushed, and were quick to break the gaze.

Next came Lily and Iroha._  
>"Embrace me…"<br>_Immediately after singing their line, Iroha latched herself onto Lily. She gave the older girl a smile as she rubbed her cheek into Lily's shoulder and let out a small 'mew' of content. The blonde felt her cheeks flush, and she tried to shove the other girl off of her.

Miku had to contain her giggle at the sight of the protesting Lily and the affectionate Iroha._  
>"Kiss me."<br>_She looked up at Luka, and saw that the pinkette was smiling down at her. The tealette winked, and blew a kiss at her senpai, who's face immediately became scarlet.

After a short pause, the beat kicked back in, coming in strong and at full power for the final chorus.

"_Our secrets increase again  
>Is this okay?<br>I unknowingly fall deeper and become disoriented  
>I love you<br>Am I weird because my chest doesn't stop burning?  
>My face heats up just thinking about it…<br>Our secret after-school."_

* * *

><p>Once the red "RECORDING" sign above the door turned off, the girls removed their headphones. A voice shot through the room's speakers.<p>

"Good job, girls! I don't think we'll need to re-record any parts of the song. What you all did was absolutely brilliant," their producer gushed. "You all can take a break before we have the photoshoot for the single's cover art. Just make sure you go to your private dressing rooms and get changed into the outfit for it. I've had some of the workers set out the clothes for you. See you all in thirty minutes!"

"Okay," the girls chorused.

"Oh, and Gumi-san," the producer said.

Gumi frowned at the glass window. "What?"

"We figured Yuki-chan would want to stick with you, so we put her outfit in your room," he said. "Alright, see you all later!"

Gumi looked down at the nine year-old that was _still_ gripping onto her hoodie. She sighed, and shook her head. _"Of all the people for her to get attached to, it had to be me,"_ she thought to herself, as she made her way out of the recording booth.  
>Yuki grabbed onto the back of the orange hoodie and followed her pseudo-sister out.<p>

The green haired girl ignored the looks of amusement that she had been receiving from the others, and made a beeline to her private room. The door was thrown open, and Gumi quickly strode inside. As soon as Yuki was in the room, she shut the door. Emerald eyes scanned the room in search of the outfits they were to wear for the photo shoot. The two sets of outfits were neatly folded on the table, and lay side by side. She crossed the room, dimly aware that Yuki was still clinging to her hoodie. On top of one of the outfits was a pair of white and red goggles, clearly intended for Gumi. On the other outfit were two red plaid ribbons, for Yuki.

"Huh… New goggles," she mumbled to herself, as she picked up the pair to look them over. Gumi reached up and removed her standard pair of dark gray and red goggles from her head. She was quick to don the new white goggles, and she looked herself over in the mirror. "Not bad, not bad."

Yuki looked up at Gumi, and smiled slightly. "They look good on you, Onee-chan!" she complimented.

"Thanks, Yu-chii," Gumi replied. Her old goggles were set down on the table, and she handed over the smaller set of clothes to Yuki. "Here. Go ahead and change."

The younger girl took the clothes, nodded, and hurried off to the bathroom. When the door clicked shut behind the small brunette, Gumi began to strip down to her underwear. She picked up the white outfit that had been set on the table, allowing it to unfurl. The corner of her eye twitched as she stared at the one piece outfit.

What she saw before her was a white one piece sailor uniform with red plaid trip and tie.

"What the fuck…"

Gumi undid the buttons to the outfit, and hurriedly put it on. She glanced at the mirror, and shook her head at the sight that was reflected back at her. The white and red outfit contrasted sharply with her green hair, but it was not an unpleasant sight. In fact, Gumi hated to admit it, it seemed like the designer of the outfit was careful when selecting the color scheme for the one piece. None of the colors would make any of the other girls look bad. The outfit's colors would only make the girls look more attractive.

"Not that we need that after singing a song like _that…"_ She muttered, as she walked away from the mirror.

A knock came from the door, and Gumi went to open it.

"Aah! You look so cute!" was the only warning she received before she was pulled into a tight hug. Her cheeks became faint pink as she stared down at a mop of red hair.

"Ah—Miki-chan?"

The redhead smiled up at her, and pulled away from the green haired girl. "Miku-chan told me to come here," Miki explained. "She said you wanted to talk to me or something like that?"

Gumi blinked several times.  
>Talk to Miki?<p>

Oh.  
>That's right.<br>She was supposed to ask Miki to be her… her…

"Ano… Gumi-chan?" Miki looked a little confused at the sudden blush that had spread across Gumi's cheeks. "Are you okay?"

"Er—Yeah, I'm fine," Gumi said quickly. "Don't worry about it." She ruffled up Miki's hair, and looked down at the younger girl. When she realized that Miki was dressed in the sailor uniform as well, she had to look away.  
>Miki was already cute to begin with.<br>But _damn._

Worried that something may have happened, Miki took half a step forward and grasped onto one of the greenette's hands. "Gumi-chan—"

"Miki-chan, I'm fine…" Gumi gave Miki a sidelong glance. A finger from her free hand was raised, and she scratched at her cheek awkwardly. "Er… So… I have something to ask you."

"Hm?"

"Well—You see—Don't get too excited or whatever—" Gumi struggled to find the easiest way to put it. "But, uh, would you—"

"_Onee-sama! _I was lookin' for ya!"

"_Onee-chan! _I need help putting the ribbons in my hair!"

Yuki stopped behind Gumi, and gripped onto the white cloth of the older girl's sailor uniform. She peered around Gumi to stare at Rin and Miki with curious chocolate eyes.

Rin wrapped her arms around Miki's arm, and she gave Gumi a loaded look. Her sapphire eyes shot daggers at Gumi before she turned them to meet Miki's wide ruby ones. "Onee-sama, we need to start heading over to the room where they're doing the photo session," she whined, as she began to tug Miki away from the greenette.

Gumi scowled and tugged on Miki's hand. "I was talking to her," she growled at the blonde.

"But we have to go now."

"The photo studio is only a floor above us!"

"…So?"

"So let me talk to Miki-chan before I kick your a—"

"Gumi-chan!" Miki interrupted, slightly exasperated. The redhead slipped her hand away from Gumi, and shook her head. "Watch your mouth. Did you forget Yuki-chan was here?"

Gumi blinked several times, and then looked down at the brunette behind her. "Oh."

With a sigh, and another shake of the head, Miki pouted up at Gumi. "Is it okay if we finish this conversation later?" she asked, her tone apologetic.

_NO._

"Yeah, that's fine," Gumi mumbled, her rational mind squashing down any sort of impulse that was almost followed. "We could walk home, if that's okay? 'Cause… Yu-chii lives only a few blocks away, so I figured I'd walk her home." She glanced down at Yuki. "Is that okay with you?"

Yuki looked at Miki, then Gumi, then Miki, and back at Gumi. "Uh-huh! If that's what Onee-chan wants, then that's okay with me!" she smiled.

Miki laughed, and then nodded. "Okay, we can do that—"

"_Ahem."_ Rin began to fake cough into her fist. "If Onee-sama's walking home with you guys, then I'm going to!" She declared, as she gave Gumi a triumphant grin.

Gumi twitched. "Wha—"

"Ah, okay, Rin-chan!" The redhead smiled, completely unaware of the loaded looks that Gumi and Rin were exchanging with one another. "Gumi-chan, we'll see the you and Yuki-chan upstairs in a couple of minutes," Miki said, before she allowed Rin to pull her towards the elevator.

When she was sure that the elevator doors closed behind Miki and Rin, Gumi slammed a fist against the door frame. "Stupid cockblock Rin!" she hissed under her breath.

"What's a cockblock?" Yuki asked, as she stared at Gumi, unphased by the older girl's actions. It was Gumi, after all. After tagging after the green haired girl for a year or so, she had grown used to some of Gumi's more… Violent actions.

Gumi stiffened at the question. "Uh… So how about those ribbons? You said you needed help putting them in your hair?" She took the ribbons from Yuki's hand and squatted down to the smaller girl's eye level.

"Oh, yeah! Thanks Onee-chan!"

* * *

><p>She knocked on the door a few times, and smiled to herself when a faint "It's open!" was called out from behind the door. The tealette opened the door, and waved at her favorite pinkette. "Luka-senpai! We need to hurry or we're going to be late for the photo session!" She said, as she leaned against the doorframe. Teal eyes looked over the shapely pinkette, and a slightly perverse smirk tugged at the corners of Miku's lips. The pair of red glasses that were perched on the bridge of her nose were pushed up by a teal-polished finger.<p>

Unaware that she was eye candy for the younger girl, Luka was busily staring down as she tied the red ribbon to her sailor uniform. "Ah, right, right," she nodded. "I'm almost ready." Her slender fingers tugged on the ends of the ribbon, and she hurried over to Miku's side.

Miku grinned, and looked Luka over once more. "You look really good, Luka-senpai," she said, as she winked and stuck her tongue out cheekily. "Really, _really_ good."

The pinkette felt her cheeks flush and she looked away in embarrassment. "Ah, well, th-thank you," she stammered, before she strode past the younger girl. "The outfit looks good on you, too…"

"Really?"

"R-really…" Luka nodded once, and glanced at Miku, who had fallen into step with her. She pushed the up button for the elevator. The pair waited for the elevator doors to slide open for what seemed like ages now that a silence had come over them.

After waiting for another second or so, Miku spoke. "You know… When we were singing, I really meant what I sang," she said nonchalantly, teal eyes focused on the stainless steel doors before her.

Puzzled, Luka looked down at her companion, a single pink brow raised. "What do you mean?"

"_Kiss me,"_ Miku sang once more, as the doors slid open. The younger girl stepped into the elevator, and spun on her heels to face the elder girl. Plastered onto her face was a smile that was both mischievous and… seductive?

Luka gulped, and stepped into the elevator. Her cool blue eyes looked back down at the teal haired girl who was looking up at her. "Ah—W-well—Th-that—We—I—Kiss, you say?" she stuttered, fumbling over her words. "We—I don't—Ah—M-maybe?"

Miku giggled, and put her hands behind her back. "Ne, Luka-senpai, I'm not going to _force_ you into a kiss or anything," she stated. "Every other time I've been the one to go for it, right? Well, I'm leaving it all up to you." With another wink, she looked away from Luka and pressed the appropriate button for their intended floor.

The pinkette could only stare at the younger girl, her thoughts now racing. What was she going to do? Miku had left her with an open ended offer. And Luka knew that there were hundreds, if not _thousands,_ of people in the world who would kill for an opportunity like this. Her blue eyes watched the teal haired girl sway back and forth, shifting her weight from the balls of her feet, to her heels, and back again.

Overhead, a chime-like sound played through the elevator speaker, notifying the pair that they had arrived at their destination. Silver doors slid open, and Miku began to step forward.

"_Ch-chotto matte, kudasai!"_ Luka stammered, as she frantically grabbed onto one of Miku's hands.

Miku gazed at Luka from over her shoulder, a smile back on her face. "Yes?"

The pinkette pulled Miku close, and quickly pressed her lips against the younger girls. After a few seconds, Luka pulled away, and darted out of the elevator.  
>The tealette simply giggled, and followed after Luka, surprised that the older girl had decided to take up her offer.<p>

"Luka-senpai!" Miku called out, as she fell into step with Luka once more. She slid her hand into the blushing pinkette's, and gave it a light tug. "Calm down, Luka-senpai… That wasn't that bad, you know."

"I—I know," Luka stuttered. "But—Stil—I've never actually…" She stopped, and bit down on her tongue to prevent herself from admitting something embarrassing to the younger girl.

Not one to miss such things, Miku raised a brow. "Ne? You've never what?" she asked, curiosity thick in her voice.

"N-nothing!" The pinkette mentally slapped herself. Rather than stick around to answer the question, she pulled her hand away from Miku and quickened her pace. She was hoping to reach the door to the photo studio before Miku could stop her.

But the tealette was quick, and sprinted past Luka. Miku stood in front of the door, and pouted at the wide-eyed pinkette. "Tell me!" she whined, as she folded her arms across her chest.

"But—It's—That is—It's embarrassing…"

"Embarrassing?"

Luka nodded once, and felt her cheeks burn. "I…"

Miku was quiet for a moment. She rubbed the back of her head, and looked up at Luka. "You can tell me," she said quietly. "I won't laugh… I told you that you could talk to me about anything, remember?"

"R-right…"

"So… Go on, then."

"I've never been to the one to initiate a kiss," Luka admitted sheepishly, her blue eyes avoiding teal.

There was a seemingly long stretch of silence before Miku spoke.  
>"That's it? That's…" She paused. "That's nothing to be embarrassed about! That's actually kinda cute, Luka-senpai!" Miku smiled, and removed the glasses from her face. "You were able to kiss me back in the elevator without a problem, right?"<p>

"R-Right."

"See! Then there's nothing to worry about!" Miku's smile faded slightly. "Unless… You're worried about what Lily-nee might think if she found out…?"

Luka blinked, and finally met Miku's gaze. "What—No, no," she shook her head. "Actually… I don't know… I'm not worried about that," she admitted. The taller girl toyed with the ribbon to her white and red plaid uniform. "It's strange, but ever since the other day, I've felt a little more at ease. And I don't feel stressed out as much, either." Her light blue eyes had a thoughtful glint to them as she tried to put her thoughts into words.

"Eh?" Miku stared at Luka, looking completely lost.

"Well, that is to say…" Luka smiled a little bit. "I think that maybe things between Lily and I may have changed again?"

The teal haired girl continued to stare. "Wh… What?"  
>Changed?<br>"How—Why—What do you mean—"

When Luka saw panic flash across Miku's face, she shook her head quickly. "Not like that!" she exclaimed. "I mean… There isn't any tension between the two of us. It's like something sort of changed, and we're close again—But as friends," she clarified. "At least, I think that's how things are now."

"I don't understand…"

"It's hard to explain, but I think that Lily-chan won't be giving you, Gumi-chan, and Miki-chan any more problems," Luka continued on. "Iroha-chan's done a very good job of calming Lily-chan down."

"…Iroha?"

"Ah, yes," Luka nodded once. "I visited Iroha-chan the other day with Lily-chan. And , surprisingly, Iroha-chan was very helpful. She helped me and Lily-chan out with, uhm, peer mediation. After Lily-chan and I worked things out, I had to leave to meet my parents for dinner—"

"Wait, wha—"

"But I sort of stuck around and eavesdropped on them. And it seems like they're a lot closer now," Luka concluded.

Miku struggled to piece things together. She was quiet, and stared at Luka while her brain was put to work. "… So Lily-nee…?"

Luka smiled a little bit, and simply shrugged her shoulders. "Who knows? Lily-chan can be a complicated person, you know. She doesn't like when I try to figure things out about her," she explained. "Now… Can we go inside and get this photo shoot done and over with?"

"What—Oh, right, photo shoot," Miku nodded, still preoccupied with what Luka had tried to explain to her. "Ah—Luka-senpai!"

"Yes?"

"Here." The red glasses that she had been holding were thrust towards the pinkette. Although her thoughts were still revolving around Luka's tale, Miku gave the older girl a smile. "I think these would look better on you than they would on me."

Luka took the glasses, and carefully set them onto the bridge of her nose. "Thank you, Miku-chan." She reciprocated the younger girl's smile.

Miku nodded, and allowed Luka to open the door to the studio, only to reach out and quickly shut it. Before Luka could open her mouth to speak, Miku stood up on the tips of her toes, and pressed her lips against Luka's. It only took a second before she felt the older girl's lips press back just as feverently. The corners of Miku's lips curved into a smile as the pair kept the kiss going. Feeling more than a little daring, Miku gently bit down on Luka's lower lip, earning a gasp from the older girl. And that was all it took before their tongues began an intricate dance, primarily led by Miku. After a few more seconds, the tealette reluctantly stepped back, and smiled up at the scarlet faced pinkette. The younger girl winked, opened the door, and stepped into the studio.  
>Luka followed in a stunned silence. She hoped that her cheeks would return to their natural color before any of the others noticed that she and Miku had just arrived. Her light blue eyes looked up, and she was ready to make up a pathetic explanation for her red cheeks... only to see that they were the last to arrive. Even Meiko had managed to beat them to the photo set.<br>Their house mates were scattered throughout the room, all of them engrossed within their own conversations.

"Onee-sama! Help me with the ribbon for my hair!"

"Okay, Rin-chan, but you need to stop moving."

"Onee-chan! Onee-chan, where did you go—Oh! Cookies!"

"Wha—Yu-chii! Wait! Quit pulling on my clothes or I swear, I'll drop these cookies!"

"Oi! Tanaguchi! Can I drink some beer after this?"

"M-Meiko-san… I think it's still a little early to start drinking…"

"Damn it!"

Teal eyes met light blue, and the owners gave each other weary smiles. Only their house mates would act like this.

_SMACK._

The room became silent, and all eyes focused on two of the Vocaloids. The taller, and older, of the two had one hand extended before her, deep blue eyes blazing with fury, and cheeks scarlet. The younger rubbed her own cheek with a smile on her face, golden eyes having a playful glint to them.

"DAMN IT, IROHA! I TOLD YOU TO QUIT TRYING TO KISS ME!" Lily shouted, as she pointed a finger accusingly at the golden eyed girl. "JUST STAY AWAY FROM ME!"

Iroha pursed her lips together, and held her arms out to Lily. She took a step forward, attempting for a hug. "But I know you can't stop thinking about me—Ah!" The dark pink haired girl ducked, narrowly avoiding another slap to the face. "_Baka inu-sama!_ You can really hurt someone if you do that!" A Cheshire grin was on her face as she "reprimanded" the blonde.

Lily twitched, and lunged at the cat-like girl.

But Iroha was quick to dart away. "Nya, nya, nya! You can't catch me—OH WOW!" She began to sprint around the room when she realized that Lily began to chase after her.

At the sight, Miku and Luka exchanged glances once more.  
>"Are you sure Lily-nee and Iroha-chan are closer now…?" Miku asked, thinking that Luka may have been ill when she had visited Iroha earlier in the week.<p>

Luka laughed, and nodded her head. "Oh, yes, I do think so."

"QUIT SCREWING AROUND!" A man in a suit shouted at the running Vocaloids. "Everyone get over here and stand still for five seconds so we can take a picture!"  
>To his dismay, no one moved. All eyes were focused on the laughing Iroha and the fuming Lily.<p>

The head producer sighed, and shook his head. He should have expected as much.  
>After all, the entire Vocaloid group was slightly-<p>

"AAAAHH! BAKA INU-SAMA! OW! LET GO! MY PONYTAIL ISN'T MENT TO BE GRABBED!"

"GIVE ME BACK MY KISS! I WANT IT BACK! GIVE ME MY PRIDE BACK!"

"NYAAA! I CAN'T DO THAT! THAT'S NOT EVEN POSSIBLE-"

"THEN I'LL MAKE A FUR COAT OUT OF YOU, YOU DAMNED CAT!"

"Onee-chan..." a high soprano voice of a very young girl stood out.

"Yu-chii, don't you dare use those words that they're saying. Lily's got a potty mouth, got it?"

"O-okay..."

_-Insane._  
>That was the word he was looking for.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> x_x  
>Dude. That was a long chapter… Nyaaaah. Not that I mind writing it. I had a lot of fun with it. xD;; For once it wasn't intense amounts of drama, since things are finally beginning to settle down between the house mates. P:<br>As far as chapter lengths go, this will probably be the longest one. It was only so long because I couldn't figure out where a good place to stop would be. ^^; I really didn't want to separate the chapter into two separate chapters because all of this occurs in one day for the characters (except for the flashbacks, of course). So I really wanted to keep the feel of time together… Just for this chapter, anyway. Now that I think about it, I remember splitting up Chapter 10 into Chapters 10 and 11 (Secret Police and White Lily Basket).

I'm really sorry about the delay. Ever since I made my Tumblr account I became addicted with it… That, and photo editing. XD; If anyone's curious:  
>Yes. I made my tumblr while I was writing this chapter. OTL I'm unoriginal and used a song title as my username. And let me warn you ahead of time, I post a lot of picture edits that I do, and reblog a lot of Vocaloid, K-ON!, and Puella Magi Madoka Magica. And then some really random things… XDDD<p>

_Reviewer Replies:_

_LukaFan:_ Ah, yeah, things in the story are beginning to wrap themselves up. ^^; But I watched the Sapporo concert on YouTube. LOL. It was really amazing in my opinion! :D Also, that song that you linked me to was great. I ended up getting it right after listening to it.  
>As for Project Diva Extend… *-* I get that in the mail soon. Very, very, soon…<br>And. I think you should make an account! :D Do it, do it, do it. We could PM that way, too! XD

_PaperCutVictim: _Man, I don't think I can ever tell you this enough, but I really appreciate everything you've done for me. From the reviews, to helping me sort out my ideas, and reading over some of my stuff… You're the best! (^o^) You sir, are a sucker for Gumi/Miki bits. But anyway.. THANKS FOR EVERYTHING! :D

_Jak656: _You must be psychic if you knew I was going to update the story then! XD Were you able to predict when I updated it this time around? And I'm sorry to hear about your writers block! D: I really hate when that happens, so I definitely know how you feel. X_x Insomnia… Sucks… It hits hard, and has no mercy. I hope you're able to get some sleep, though!

_Lovecakes98: _Thanks a ton! :D I hope you continue to enjoy the story!

_Major Mike Powell III:_ Whoa. That was a long review! XD But I really appreciate it! And I kinda enjoy our random conversations. xD They're pretty interesting. Yes, I'm a little sad to see SoL come to an end, but I still have the prequel (and possibly the sequel) to work on next!

_Asphell's Advocate: _;w; Thank you so much for your kind words! Your use of profanity is excused. After all, I have the characters of SoL swear every now and again! I hope I can continue to keep you entertained until the end!

_Rocketman182: _Thank you so much! Ah, self-teaching? XD; That sounds kinda tough… Especially with a language that's so different from English. As for Google translate… I'd be really careful with that, but I'm sure you know that already. XD; I recommend getting an English-Japanese dictionary. And if you have an iPhone, iTouch, or iPad, definitely check out the Kotoba! App. I have it on my phone and iTouch. It really helps, especially when I communicate with my Japanese friends. Particles are definitely a toughy, but I'm sure with some studying you'll be alright! :D がんばってね！Give it your best shot!

_IlluvianMelody: _;w; … ;w; …. That was one of the nicest things I have ever read in my entire life. Thank you so much for making my day! I really appreciate your support! Thank you so much!

_Meislovely:_ SHIRO. I definitely know what you mean! X_x My little brothers fight a LOT, and it drives me insane! OTL I usually end up being the peacemaker between the two of them, though.  
>Kuro… Please continue to watch over Shiro. I'm willing to pay you in cookies. (^^)b deal?<p>

.

Ah man. Thank you all so much for reading this chapter until the end! XD; I know it was long, and I'm sorry if that bothered anyone. But please, join me in the next chapter!

And if there are any questions or anything, don't be afraid to leave a review, shoot me a PM, or even ask me something through my Tumblr. I'll reply to you as soon as I can!

See you later!


	23. Author's Note!

**A note from the writer.**

Hello, everyone! I'm terribly sorry that I haven't updated Slice of Life in over a year now. Don't worry, I have my notes for the rest of the fan fiction, as well as a draft for the next update. I'll be working on it whenever I can now that my schedule has opened up a bit!

Seeing reviews and private messages from people has made me incredibly happy! It's just really nice to see that people appreciate the story and plot itself! To be honest, I wasn't expecting the amount of reviews and favorites that this fan fiction has received. It's a real honor to have people enjoy it, as well as tell me that I'm someone that they look up to as a writer!

Thank you for your continued support, and I'll see you all in the next update!

_P.S: I've had more ideas for the sequel, or what might end up being an entirely new fan fiction that is not related to SoL in anyway._


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